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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23552587">Sea and Sacrifice</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/penstrikesmidnight/pseuds/penstrikesmidnight'>penstrikesmidnight</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Angst with a Happy Ending, HQ Rarepair Bang 2020, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Torture, Irish Mythology - Freeform, M/M, Sacrifice, Slow Burn, merfolk</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 17:28:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>31,664</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23552587</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/penstrikesmidnight/pseuds/penstrikesmidnight</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Iwaizumi has warned Oikawa time and again not to swim close enough to the shore to listen to human music, but Oikawa insists he is always careful. One day he gets caught in a trap set to lure merfolk like him to a rocky island starved of magic. While confined there he meets Sawamura Daichi, a gentle-hearted fisherman who nurses him back to health. Daichi is torn between helping the home he loves, and doing right by the ancient spirits, and, maybe, the being he wants to spend his life with.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Oikawa Tooru/Sawamura Daichi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>HQ Rarepair Bang 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Undercurrent</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is my first piece for the HQ Rarepair Bang 2020! Please check out the art for this piece done by the amazing <a href="https://amber-flicker.tumblr.com/">@amber-flicker</a> on tumblr! You can find the art <a href="https://amber-flicker.tumblr.com/post/614878041255100416/when-he-closes-his-eyes-he-sees-wide-curious/">here</a>!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Koushi Sugawara had not planned to be on the beach that morning. The day is dawning gray and cloudy. Koushi knows it will be one of those days when the sky, land, and water join into a murky, colorless horizon, the most common background of Merinnis. These are Koushi’s least favorite days. He shivers, pulls his scarf farther up over his nose, and stamps his feet, more for something to do than to keep himself warm.</p><p>He stands on the dock, running his fingers over the smooth, silver medallion in his hand. He sighs, then slips the coin back into his sleeve for another time, when he will need it to appease the ocean for things other than neglect. He turns around to make his way back to the island proper when something down the shore catches his attention.</p><p>Most of the island is early-rising, off on the more profitable jobs the island has to offer--fishing or farming. Koushi himself does not fish; the sight of those nets being hurled into the water to drag back sea creatures, big or small, makes his skin feel tight, too small for his bones. The only time Koushi comes to the sea is to make his offerings. Sometimes, during particularly bad storms, or when the wind blows just right off of the coast, Koushi thinks, just for a breath, about what it would be like to jump into the sea and never return to this dreary, hostile island.</p><p>But he has responsibilities here, and this is his home, even if it is a mostly irredeemable one. So he makes his offerings and keeps his head down, makes himself as normal as possible.</p><p>Koushi finds himself stepping toward the commotion on the shoreline without thinking, drawn by an unsettling, unnameable dread in his gut. The fishermen who are still on the shore are dropping their nets and running toward a knot of people surrounding a bucking figure. Koushi sees scales gleaming in a stray ray of sunlight, watches the curve of a powerful tail rise up before it is pinned down.</p><p>Koushi stops, frozen on that gray beach on that gray, murky morning. The fishermen are a circle around the unfortunate creature, hollering and laughing and lashing down fishing nets as others haul over iron chains. Just looking at the heavy chains sets Koushi’s skin crawling, urging him to flee. Over the scuffling and the waves pounding on the shore, a keening wail pierces through the thick air, the sound of an animal dying. Koushi presses his hand to his mouth, maybe to stop his own response to the violent scene, maybe to make sure he doesn’t vomit, maybe to keep his tears at bay.</p><p>“We got it, boys! And it’s a pretty one too! Don’t be too harsh, now, can’t have it dying yet.”</p><p>There isn’t a fight anymore. Instead, there is a boy in chains being dragged behind two men, and a glistening swatch of fabric passed from one onlooker to another. Some throw it over their shoulders, others wrap it around their waist to hoots and catcalls. It is one of the most beautiful things Koushi has ever seen, but the sight of it makes him dizzy.</p><p>Koushi turns back to the ocean, takes a deep breath, and slips the coin out of his sleeve. He hurls it into the volatile waves, for what little good that will do. But the ocean will need appeasing, and Koushi hopes what he can muster up is enough, because the repercussions if he can’t are unacceptable.</p><p>When he turns back to land, the group has dispersed, back to their boats, back to the town, back to their normal lives.</p><p>Koushi figures he should try to do the same. </p><p>***</p><p>Daichi is at the courthouse when it opens on Monday morning. He has his collar turned up, trying to shelter himself from the ever-present wind. It is a fruitless gesture. The courthouse sits at the edge of a cliff, a faux lighthouse at the mercy of everything nature has to offer. The wind, while present in some form everywhere on the island, is especially furious here.</p><p>The Sawamura family has lived in the same house, on the same plot of land, for as long as anyone can remember. When his mother and father had passed, Daichi knew no one would challenge what he did with their land, probably because no one else has a claim to it, but still. He likes to have all his fishing and farming and property rights in order.</p><p>He approaches the front desk, hands over his papers, and is given an estimated waiting period of five to ten minutes. When he sits down, he has a view straight into the courtroom and sees Akio Terushima speaking with the judge. Daichi smiles. He wonders how much money the Terushima family has given to the island to bail out their oldest son and his partying lifestyle. </p><p>Everything legal files through the courthouse, be it law enforcement, judiciary matters, or public school enrollment, but truthfully, most of the island ran on older, unwritten laws.</p><p>The judge motions Akio through to the three jail cells. Daichi has spent one night there, the year previous, courtesy of Koushi and his bad judgement. As soon as Akio closes the door behind him, Daichi is motioned into the room.</p><p>The proceedings take less than three minutes. Judge Kido asks about how preparations for harvest are going, and Daichi answers pleasantly that they are going well. Kido also asks about Daichi’s personal life, which he breezes over. There is an unspoken question lingering around why Daichi is still here, on this small rock in the middle of the ocean instead of off on the mainland making a life for himself. And Daichi...can’t answer it. </p><p>The judge is just signing the last of the papers, then drips a seal of approval onto the documents, when the Terushimas are ushered out of the jail. Yuuji grins and nods at Daichi. “You shoulda gone out with us last night! You could have seen it when they brought it in this morning too!”</p><p>Daichi shrugs, unsure what Yuuji is implying. Daichi had had to grow up faster than most of the boys on the island. He knows he uses his responsibilities as an excuse, because Koushi seems to find ways to be social, but it is just...exhausting.</p><p>The judge sighs as Akio cuffs Yuuji on the head. “You should be more like Daichi, you know. He runs his own farm. He makes money for himself!”</p><p>Yuuji rolls his eyes goodnaturedly, but Daichi’s attention is drawn back to the jail, where a high-pitched, keening cry has begun, not unlike a lament. It is eerily beautiful, but so full of pain, Daichi winces. It is a raw, guttural cry for help. </p><p>Judge Kido sighs. “The sooner they move that thing, the better. We don’t any need more disruptions.”</p><p>“What…?” Daichi asks, but he isn’t sure he wants to know the answer. </p><p>“They caught a <i>merrow</i> today,” Yuuji says without any more prompting. “They said they’ll put him in the Old Cells tonight, but he was putting up such a fuss they needed to take preventative measures first.”</p><p>“Oh, really?” Daichi chokes out. He needs to talk to Koushi, see if he has heard anything. He had told Daichi, quite reluctantly, that he would be on the beach that morning.</p><p>Akio shakes his head. “Come, now. We have a lot of work to do. Everyone will be out celebrating tonight, so we need to prepare the restaurant for them.”</p><p>Yuuji waves as the two of them leave. Daichi’s eyes wander back to the open door to the jail, where the elongated cry has changed to a mournful chirping. When Daichi glances back at Judge Kido, he is startled to see the judge staring back. “Sorry, sir,” Daichi says, hastily gathering his newly approved paperwork.</p><p>“You live on old land, correct? Your fields butt up against the Old Cells?” Judge Kido asks suddenly, as if he did not just read the address on Daichi’s papers. Daichi nods, uncertain. Judge Kido goes back to arranging papers on his desk. Warily, Daichi starts to back away, but before he can get far, Judge Kido says, “We have strayed far from where we were when I was growing up on this island. Work was hard, but rewarding. Now.” He shakes his head. “We meddle in things we should not because the Gods do not seem to care. But they always do.”</p><p>Daichi does not know if he is supposed to reply, so he stands very, very still, papers clenched tightly in his hand. Suddenly, they seem fragile in his grip, meaningless words trying to tamp down an ancient, wild power.</p><p>“If you need someone to watch the, uh, creature,” Daichi says carefully, “I can lend my services, since I am the closest.”</p><p>It would not be the first time he has done it, and he doesn’t think it will be the last. But the words still surprise him as they come out of his mouth. He’s never helped care for anything humanoid. Cait Sith and Cu Sith, sure, but nothing more. Judge Kido sighs.</p><p>“I am sure you will be called on. Until then, have a pleasant day.”</p><p>Daichi says a final goodbye, and leaves the courtroom as quickly as possible. The receptionist waves at him as he leaves. The wind is still blowing harshly, so Daichi ducks his chin into his jacket as he makes his way down the road toward town. Everything on the island seems so normal, from the people he sees getting breakfast or coffee to the people who wave at him as he passes. Daichi can only imagine the celebrations that will take place that night, and throughout the week. He should go out and celebrate. This is supposed to be a joyous occasion for the island. Another year of stability.</p><p>Daichi takes his papers back to his house, makes himself a quick breakfast, and then leaves for the beach. His days are boringly consistent. He wakes up early to take care of the few animals that he has, as well as the other chores around his small farm. Then, he eats breakfast before heading down to the rocky beach to spend most of his day helping Old Man Ukai and his grandson manage their fishing business.</p><p>After that, Daichi finishes up his chores around the house, eats dinner either alone or with Koushi, and relaxes with a book or listens to an evening radio program. He keeps to himself, for the most part, and he is okay with it. Koushi insists he is lonely.</p><p>That night, he is just finishing making dinner when a knock sounds at his door. After learning about the merrow, he had expected Koushi to come around, so Daichi had made a double portion of chicken and potatoes. Daichi’s house is about a fifteen minute walk away from town, far enough that he normally cannot hear the celebrations of the weekends. He suspects this night will be especially noisy, and sometimes, Koushi needs a means of escape.</p><p>“Hi,” Koushi says when Daichi opens the door. His voice is pitched high and aggressively cheerful.</p><p>“I made you dinner,” Daichi says.</p><p>“Ah, you’re so dependable,” Koushi says, all his edges softening. Koushi and Daichi have been friends for as long as Daichi remembers. Daichi has just as many memories in Koushi’s kitchen as he does in his own, watching Koushi’s mother baking or cooking or cleaning. Daichi would do anything for Koushi, and he is sure the feeling is mutual.</p><p>“I figured you probably wanted to get away for awhile,” Daichi answers as Koushi slumps into his usual chair at the table. Daichi dishes up a plate for Koushi, then himself.</p><p>“How was your trip to the courthouse?” Koushi asks.</p><p>“Fine. Mostly normal. Poor Akio was there bailing Yuuji out again.” Koushi laughs. Daichi hesitates for just a second but decides now is as good a time as any to tell Koushi about what he heard. “Apparently, there was a merrow in the jail, too. They caught it this morning.”</p><p>“Him,” Koushi says sharply. Daichi’s eyes widen, and Koushi sighs. “Sorry. It’s a he. I saw him this morning, on the beach. I watched them…”</p><p>Koushi’s voice trails off. Daichi knows Koushi well enough to know that he is probably feeling guilty. “You couldn’t do anything,” Daichi reassures him, and Koushi smiles wanly. “I told Judge Kido that I could help. If they need me to.”</p><p>“They’ll put him in the Old Cells,” Koushi says with a nod. “He seemed like a fighter, so no one will want to handle him.” Koushi’s eyes scan Daichi’s house. “Your place is probably the most well-protected to hold him, though. Besides the Cells. Or my house, but I live in the middle of town. </p><p>Then Koushi turns to give Daichi a look, the look Daichi knows is Koushi warning him away from doing something stupid. “But, Daichi, I think it might be best to stay uninvolved. Nothing good will come of...” Koushi shivers but doesn’t finish his sentence.</p><p>They don’t say much else as they finish their meal, both of them lost in their thoughts. Koushi has always known about magic, how it flows and ebbs, which forces halt it or enhance it. Daichi does not remember a time when Koushi didn’t have some trinket or another to feed something, plant somewhere, or offer to the sea, but Daichi knows that it became almost obsessive when his mother had disappeared a few years previous, right after Daichi had left their house in order to get his life in order.</p><p>“I should go back,” Koushi says with a sigh. He has a younger sister and a father who hasn’t been the same since his mother had abandoned them. “Come visit sometime. Hina misses you.”</p><p>“Of course,” Daichi says. He has not visited  the Sugawaras in quite awhile. “Maybe we should have dinner sometime this week?”</p><p>Koushi smiles. “I’ll see you tomorrow? I’m coming down to Ukai’s to put in our monthly order.”</p><p>After Koushi leaves, Daichi turns on the radio, and some soft jazz filters from the speakers. He contemplates tuning into a different show, but the jazz is soothing, so he decides to leave it on for now. He sets about cleaning the dishes, then decides to organize his closet, something he has been putting off for too long. It is always hard to clean the closets and storage places in his house, because he never knows what he will find left behind by his mother or father. But it needs to be done, and in his restless, cleaning mood, he figures now is as good a time as any to begin.</p><p>He starts in his room. A few months prior, when he had been tight on funds, he had finally decided it was time to move into the largest bedroom, the one that had belonged to his mother and father. It felt as if he were finally burying them, letting go of their ghosts around the house.</p><p>There is something calming about the repetition of emptying drawers, refolding shirts and making piles of clothing that he can give away, to Koushi or one of the families who live in the Meadows. Daichi falls into the pattern easily.</p><p>The stress of the day has almost flowed entirely away when Daichi hears laughter filter in through his closed window. He frowns. He is far enough away from town that he does not usually hear partying or merrymaking. The land out here has a reputation of being a tricky after dark, so usually he doesn’t have to worry about dumb kids trying to do dumb things, either. He finishes with the drawer he had just emptied, hoping that the noises eventually stop, but they do not.</p><p>Daichi stands up and approaches the window. When he sees the torches, both electrical and made of wood and fire, his heart sinks. They are surrounding the Old Cells.</p><p>The lights sit in a semicircle a few meters from the fence that separates his land from the Old Cells. The wind plays with the fire, making shadows dance over the grass. He can barely make out the shape of a person in the middle of the circle, being held by Mr. Sato, the island’s butcher, if the size is any indication.</p><p>Daichi does not understand why this has to be a show, why these men are proud to have caught and held captive this poor creature.</p><p>Daichi hears the same keening wail he had heard in the courthouse cut across the darkness, as if the merrow is calling out to his kin. Daichi has to turn away when he sees that iron chains have started being passed around the circle, and he shuts the blinds firmly when the merrow cries out in pain. This is not his problem. This <i>cannot</i> be his problem. Koushi is right. He is one person, an orphaned boy who had just gotten his life in order. He cannot change the momentum of a whole island struggling to become modern, to shed their old skin to join a new world.</p><p>He moves to the front of the house and turns up the radio. He ends up falling asleep on the sofa because he does not want to hear those terrible sounds again.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Crest</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Koushi beats Daichi to Ukai’s shop the next morning. He looks just as worn as Daichi feels. He nods his greeting to Daichi, but does not say anything, so Daichi leaves him to his silence. It is very rare that Koushi is not happy or trying to look at the positive side of life. Daichi decides to let him sort his feelings out alone.</p><p>“Those damn kids,” the elder Ukai says as he pushes through the door. Keishin follows his grandfather into the room. “Think they run this island, think they know what’s what! Well, I’ll tell you! Back in my day we <i>never</i> would have had the disrespect they do. Heathens, all of them.”</p><p>“Hi, Daichi, Koushi,” Keishin says tiredly. “If you want to go down to the docks this morning, Daichi, that would be appreciated. Some of our men are not coming to work today.”</p><p>Daichi does not usually work on the sea, but he does not have any qualms against it. He is also glad to have an excuse away from old man Ukai and his rants about ‘those disrespectful kids.’ The kids he is generally talking about are not kids at all, but the generation above Daichi’s, but still. It is always uncomfortable, if not unwarranted. </p><p>Daichi nods, then makes his way along the road down to the docks, leaving Koushi to put in his order.</p><p>The island is made mostly of jagged rock and crashing waves, as if it is warning people to stay away. There are two places where the people of the island have worn away spots big enough for docks, so the two beaches are generally busy, even with half the men nursing hangovers or sleeping late from their celebrations the night previous.</p><p>The ocean is a calm, leaden gray that morning, no different from most others. Daichi finds Tobio and Shouyou down at the small fleet of boats the Ukais manage, arguing about something or another, as they are prone to do when left alone.</p><p>“Hi,” Daichi says as he approaches, and both of them whirl toward him, eyes big, as if Daichi is going to scold them. He chuckles. “I’m working with you two today, I guess. Seems most of the fishermen are going to be gone.”</p><p>“Did you see the mermaid?” Shouyou asks, eyes wide with wonder. He jumps up and down a few times in his excitement.</p><p>“Idiot, you don’t even know if it’s a mermaid or not,” Tobio snaps.</p><p>“I haven’t seen him up close, but Koushi said he was a merrow, so you made a good guess.”</p><p>The biggest difference between merrows and the rest of the merfolk is that merrows can shed their tails to become human. Most other merfolk are just half-human, half-fish.</p><p>He remembers the boy he saw last night, how he seemed very young and very human surrounded by the men of the island. He didn’t seem like a mythical creature at all.</p><p>“You and Koushi are so amazing,” Shouyou says in awe.</p><p>Daichi laughs. “I wouldn’t say that. Now. We should get to work. The Ukais are paying us to catch fish, not make small talk.”</p><p>Working with Shouyou and Tobio is nice. They are eager to help, both of them from families in the Meadows who depend on their doing odd jobs to keep their families afloat. Tobio is a skilled fisherman. It is almost scary how easily he can pinpoint the best places to cast his net to scoop up as many fish as possible. Hinata is...excited to be of use, and has his moments of brilliance, when he is not tying his net into knots.</p><p>Daichi loves the ocean, always has, and even his parents’ deaths by its waves has not hindered that love. It speaks to Daichi in some primal, ancient way. But he has responsibilities here, and a life he does not want to give up, at least, not yet. Instead, he jumps at the opportunities he is given to be close to it.</p><p>By midafternoon, they gather their equipment and haul the fish in. Kageyama and Hinata insist that they can finish the work, and Daichi believes them because he knows this is the job they usually do. Daichi goes to the elder Ukai to see if there is anything else he needs done. He dismisses Daichi a little more calmly than he had greeted him that morning, but it is easy to tell he is still in a foul mood.</p><p>Keishin follows Daichi out the door, then lights a cigarette as they walk down the path into town. “Sorry about him,” Keishin says, gesturing back to the office. “He always gets this way when things like this happen. Says it isn’t our place to meddle in magical affairs. Can’t say he isn’t wrong, in a sense, but I don’t know what else we can do.”</p><p>Keishin blows a stream of smoke through his teeth. “How were Shouyou and Tobio for you today?”</p><p>Daichi tells Keishin about their day, but he is mulling over what Keishin had just said, about how his grandfather is always moody about these things. “There wasn’t electricity when your grandfather was young, was there?”</p><p>Keishin blinks. Daichi hadn’t meant for the question to spill out like that, so he backtracks. “Sorry, that is really not any of my business…”</p><p>“No,” Keishin says, waving his hand in the air. “It is fine. Electricity became popular when he was young, but apparently it used to be fairly faulty, from his stories. I’ve asked a few times, about when they started utilizing magic to stabilize the energy, but he doesn’t know. Apparently, it is a well-kept secret that no one wants to expose.”</p><p>Keishin snubs out his cigarette and throws it away outside the pub. “Well, thanks for walking with me. See you tomorrow.”</p><p>Daichi says goodbye and continues out of town. When he gets to the road that branches away, out to his farm, he hesitates. After a few seconds of deliberation, he decides to go to Koushi’s house.</p><p>Hina is outside playing when he gets close, and her eyes light up when she notices him. “Daichi!” she squeals, darting out into the road to jump into his arms.</p><p>“Hey! You’re getting too big for this,” Daichi says with a laugh, swinging the nine-year old around before setting her back on her feet. She giggles, her eyes sparkling. Koushi and Hina have the same pretty, hazel eyes and lithe build that they got from their mother. Hina, however, has their father’s dark hair, more common on this island than Koushi’s ashy blond.</p><p>“Are you going to stay for dinner? Koushi said you would come one day this week, but I thought it wasn’t going to be until later. Truthfully, I thought he may be lying, because he said he was tired of my asking.”</p><p>Daichi chuckles as Hina guides him into the house. It is the same as it has always been, and that gives Daichi a sense of security that he doesn’t even seem to feel in his own home anymore.</p><p>“Koushi! Daichi’s here!”</p><p>Hina leads Daichi into the kitchen. “I’ll get you some water,” she announces and clambers up onto the countertop to grab him a glass. Daichi suppresses a smile as he watches her run the tap until she is sure it is cold before filling the glass.</p><p>Koushi enters the room. “Hi. You didn’t say you were coming over.”</p><p>“It was a whim,” Daichi says, studying Koushi. He looks better than he did that morning, but still tired. “Do you want me to make dinner?”</p><p>Koushi gives a small smile. “You fed me last night. I’ll be spoiled rotten if I let you feed me two nights in a row. Just sit there and tell me about your day. I ran into Shouyou in town; he said you worked with him and Tobio?”</p><p>Hina sits in the chair next to Daichi and hands him a pencil and paper, so he doodles what she tells him to as he describes his day to Koushi. He makes sure to keep it light, especially when he notices how Koushi seems to relax the longer Daichi speaks.</p><p>The rest of the night is pleasant. Koushi and Hina’s father join them for dinner, engaging in conversation and staying at the table all the way until Koushi dishes out the pudding he had made for dessert.</p><p>“I should go anyway,” Daichi says as they watch Koushi’s father wander out the door, toward his bedroom, where Koushi says he spends most of his free time. Daichi can sense the happy mood receding, and he does not want to make Koushi feel guilty. “I have a lot to do tomorrow at home, since I was down at the docks all day.”</p><p>Koushi nods. “Hina, go get ready for bed.”</p><p>Hina sighs. “Fine. Bye, Daichi.”</p><p>Daichi scoops her up to give her a hug. “I’ll be back soon, don’t worry.” </p><p>Koushi and Daichi stay quiet until the pitter patter of her feet stops and they hear the bath run. “Thanks, Daichi,” Koushi says quietly, shaking a stray lock of hair out of his face. “I...Well, I’ve not been in the best of moods, and you always seem to know when I need you.”</p><p>Daichi shrugs. He isn’t good with words, especially when it comes to emotions. “You would do the same for me,” he finally says. “See you tomorrow?”</p><p>Koushi nods. He sees Daichi to the door and gives one last wave before shutting it. The sun is just setting, giving the island a hazy, pink glow. The ever present hushing of the ocean solidifies the dreamy quality of the scene. It is moments like this when Daichi knows why he stays on this island.</p><p>The pink has darkened to a deep blue by the time Daichi arrives back to his house. Once again, he is met with a crossroads, and once again, he hesitates. His eyes scan his house, then further, to where the tiny entrance to the Old Cells lies. He doesn’t realize he has made up his mind to investigate until he is almost there.</p><p>It is deathly silent, which Daichi takes as a good sign. When he gets close enough he notices that the wooden door is propped open, firelight from lit torches spilling from inside.</p><p>He peeks his head around the corner to see Mr. Sato, the butcher, snoring softly in the corner. The torchlight leads all the way down the staircase into the tunnels beneath.</p><p>Instead of waking Sato, Daichi decides to leave. He doesn’t know what drew him there in the first place, and he feels ridiculous as he makes his careful way back through the high grass toward the gate on his property. At least he hadn’t been caught.</p><p>That night, he tosses and turns in bed. When he does finally fall asleep, his dreams are filled with strange, half formed images of merfork, and fishing, and Koushi. He doesn’t know if this is an omen or just his thoughts that can’t settle, but either way, he is sure something is going to shift.</p><p>***</p><p>The wind is calm when Koushi makes his way down to the docks. Everything is dark this far away from town, this late at night. He makes his way down to the edge of the dock and sits. He feels the spray of water from far below on his bare feet.</p><p>He pulls out the small bag of silver coins from his right pocket. From his left, he takes out a sharp bone needle. He takes a deep breath as he pricks his finger, watching as a drop of blood wells out of the cut. He takes the first coin, smears his blood on it, and hurls it as far as he can into the sea. The world still feels restless, tilted. He isn’t stupid enough to think that these measly seven coins are going to fix everything, but he wishes they would. He wishes that everything on this island weren’t so damn taboo.</p><p>Koushi throws the next one, and the next. Each time he throws a coin, he presses on his cut, making sure there is enough blood on the coin to make a red smear. It is cathartic, almost, to give just this little piece of himself to the sea.</p><p>When his task is complete, he sits there for another few minutes. His eyes have adjusted to the darkness enough that he can see where the waves crest before breaking. The tide is coming in. Koushi breathes with the waves, feels his shoulders loosen for the first time that day.</p><p>Every time he comes out to the dock, he finds it harder and harder to leave. He wonders how long it will be until he decides to stay.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Overwash</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next week passes by surprisingly normal, beside the extra company that Daichi has behind his house at the Old Cells. It isn’t until the next Thursday, when Daichi is making his way home from work, that he hears another commotion happening at the Cells. Usually, people avoid the old lands, as they seem to be a fairy untamable place. Even with a prisoner in the Cells, men usually do their business and hurry away.</p>
<p>He goes over, if for no other reason than to get them off of his property.</p>
<p>When Daichi gets there, he is met with a huddle of men, all in their mid-thirties, most of them from respectable jobs in town, even if Daichi can’t remember most of their names. He does recognize Sheriff Mizoguchi, who has his arms crossed, examining a man on the ground whose arm is obviously broken.</p>
<p>“That damn creature can starve, for all I care,” the man spits. “Then maybe he’ll be grateful for what he has.”</p>
<p>“How does he keep hurting you fools, anyway? He is chained to a wall,” the sheriff says, and Daichi has to suppress a smile as a look of shame and anger ripples through the small knot of men.</p>
<p>Finally, Sato the butcher says, his voice sulky, “I don’t see you going down there to feed it. His teeth are sharp, and his reflexes are fast, faster than they should be! Maybe if we just let him starve he’ll be more pliant.”</p>
<p>“He’s fast on his way, anyway…”</p>
<p>“Oh, Daichi, hello,” Mizoguchi says when he looks up and sees that Daichi has joined them. “I’m sorry, were we being too loud?”</p>
<p>“I just wanted to come over and make sure everything was alright,” Daichi says with a patient smile.</p>
<p>“I think we’ve sorted it all out, haven’t we?” Mizoguchi gives a stern glance to the men, who agree with him, however reluctantly, and disperse, leaving the sheriff and Daichi alone. Mizoguchi sighs. “Sorry about all this. The creature seems to be a little more spirited than the others we’ve caught in the past. Not that we have many to go on. And on top of it, this land seems to make men go mad. It is no wonder the poor thing keeps attacking them.”</p>
<p>“Would it be okay if I took care of him from now on?” Daich asks. He is sure that the surprise on Mizoguchi’s face is mirrored on his own. Daichi has always been a logical, even-headed sort of person. This creature seems to have made him just as irrational as everyone else on the island. “I mean, it would free up everyone’s schedules, and, honestly, it will give me my peace and quiet back.”</p>
<p>Mizoguchi studies Daichi for a long moment, and Daichi tries to decide if he is really going to go through with this, or if he is going to rescind his offer. “Out of everyone on this island, you are probably a good choice. Why don’t you come down and pick up the keys tomorrow, and you can do what you want. Are you going to leave him in the Cells?”</p>
<p>Daichi shrugs. “I’ll take him home. There are enough...barriers, that he will not be able to escape. And even if he does, neither of us know where his skin is being kept, so he won’t be able to get very far.”</p>
<p>Mizoguchi nods slowly. “Sounds good. But be careful. If he becomes too much, put him back. We don’t need your health jeopardized because of your good deed.”</p>
<p>Daichi nods. He shakes Mizoguchi’s hand, reaffirms that he will be at the courthouse in the morning to pick up the keys, and goes back home.</p>
<p>What the hell has he gotten himself into?</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>The next morning, Daichi stops by the general store to talk to Koushi after his visit to the courthouse. “I, um, well,” Daichi stutters. Koushi glances over at him, then stops what he is doing. Apparently, Daichi is out of character. Well, who could blame him? This whole situation was unprecedented. He takes a deep breath. “I’m going to get the merrow out of the Cells tonight.”</p>
<p>Koushi’s jaw drops. Daichi would find it funny, but he is too nervous. “That’s ridiculous, Daichi! He’s dangerous, you shouldn’t just waltz in there, without even knowing…”</p>
<p>“Koushi, they’re hurting him. I can’t,” Daichi takes a deep breath, trying to tamp down on the strange, sudden anger swirling in his stomach. “I can’t watch them treat him like that when I can help.</p>
<p>Koushi gives him a long look before finally saying, “I’ll go with you.”</p>
<p>“What? No,” Daichi says with a frown, but Koushi sets his jaw, which means Daichi isn’t going to change Koushi’s mind without a fight. “Listen, I’m the one who decided to do this. You don’t have to risk your life, too.”</p>
<p>“Oh, well, that’s comforting, now I’m definitely going to change my mind,” Koushi says with enough sarcasm to drown in. “Besides, I am pretty sure you’ll want me around, at least initially. Like you said, that poor creature is going to be hurt, and I know some remedies that can help settle him. I am the one who stocked your medical cabinet, after all.”</p>
<p>Daichi can’t even argue with Koushi, because he is right. Koushi has always been the one to keep him stocked with herbs, spices, remedies, anything even remotely mystical. Even when his parents were around, Koushi brought over things from his mother. Daichi doesn’t remember a time when Koushi didn’t carry a packet of salt or red and white ribbons tied around his wrist either. “Fine. Meet me at three then?”</p>
<p>Koushi gives him a winning smile. “I’ll be there!”</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>True to his word, Koushi is at his door right on time. “There has been a little bit of talk starting in town. About, you know, your noble deeds. Thought I should warn you.”</p>
<p>“Thanks,” Daichi says.</p>
<p>After their exchange, the walk is mostly silent, and as they get closer to the Old Cells the breeze carries the salt from the incoming tide to them. When they are only a few paces away, Koushi slows, then stops. Daichi turns to look at him.</p>
<p>Koushi looks away from Daichi. “I’ll...stay here.”</p>
<p>Daichi studies him for a moment before nodding. “Make sure we won’t run into any problems, yeah? I got permission to move him, but like you said. People are starting to talk.”</p>
<p>Koushi nods. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come.”</p>
<p>“Stop,” Daichi says firmly. Koushi has always been weird about these things, and Daichi understands. “Staying here is fine. I’m glad you are staying here in case something goes awry. I’ll call for you if I need help, all right?”</p>
<p>Koushi nods again, then turns his back to the Old Cells, his shoulders relaxing. Daichi turns to the door and pushes it open into a narrow, shadowy hallway. There is nowhere else to go besides across the small room to a stairwell. Daichi takes a deep breath before strolling into the building.</p>
<p>No matter how many times Daichi has entered this place, he does not think he will ever get used to the bone chilling coldness, the strange, hopeless feeling that seeps out of every brick that whispers dark, unspeakable things have happened here.</p>
<p>There are torches lit at the bottom of the stairwell to combat the darkness. Daichi takes one, although he probably does not need it, as the passage seems well-lit. His footsteps echo as he walks down a new hallway, this one lined with iron-barred cells, empty of everything but memories. Daichi keeps his gaze straight. He knows that the merrow will be housed in the back, where there is the most iron.</p>
<p>The walk seems endless, but eventually Daichi makes it to his destination. There are more torches surrounding this particular cell, which makes it almost as bright as midday. Daichi grips his own torch for reassurance before setting it in the holder next to the door. He is here to help the merrow, but like helping any wild, wounded creature, it is best to prepare for any outcome.</p>
<p>Daichi pays more attention to the outside lock than he probably should, but he doesn’t really want to see what they have done to this poor creature to keep him imprisoned. He knows he has to enter eventually. He takes a deep breath, opens the door, steps into the cell, and turns to close the door against all of his instincts. The cell is lit brightly, which surprises Daichi. He takes another quick breath, stands up straighter, and turns around.</p>
<p>Wide, wide brown eyes stare back at him. Daichi suppresses a gasp, but only just. The look of hatred in those eyes is so intense, Daichi could swear he feels it wrapping around his throat. As if he knows exactly what Daichi is thinking, the creature bares its teeth. Daichi shivers at such an inhuman gesture on a very human-looking body.</p>
<p>Daichi holds out his arms, palms facing the sky as a sign of openness that mirrors the creature’s position. His wrists are shackled away from his body, as if they were open wings, his neck harnessed with three braided ribbons, they themselves forming a bigger braid, and each ribbon  is threaded with seven silver bells. Daichi is surprised at how silent the creature is considering the number of bells on him, but then Daichi realizes how uncanny his stillness is in the first place, and a shiver drips down his spine. </p>
<p>Daichi takes a few tentative steps forward. He isn’t scared, just wary. The creature tracks him with his eyes, but the closer Daichi comes to him, the more he can see the toll these bindings have had on the creature’s body. His eyes are sunken, his cheeks underneath them hollowed to the point where his cheekbones cast shadows to make them appear even more thin. His skin is the sickly yellow-pale of old paper, and so thin Daichi can see what appear to be veins running beneath it. They are especially prominent around the ribbons and bells.</p>
<p>“I am here to take you back to my home,” Daichi says, voice soft so as not to startle him. He is not sure the creature even understands him, but he is sure someone would have warned him if the creature couldn’t communicate. The gaze never wavers. Daichi comes within touching distance, careful to step over the salt circle that had been placed on the ground in case anything goes awry, and kneels down, not breaking eye contact. He notices that there is a crown in the creature’s beautiful chestnut hair, made of what appears to be holly and rowan. Daichi starts with that, reaching calmly, carefully, to place his hands on either side of the creature’s head and gently disentangle the branches from his hair. It is surprisingly soft, a trick, he supposes, to make the merrow blend in better with the humans.</p>
<p>The creature does nothing, but his eyes track every move Daichi’s hands make. Daichi tosses the crown into the far corner of the cell, then eyes the harness. The best plan of attack is probably to untie the ribbons and pull them from his neck. Daichi thinks the bells will be less harmful than the circle passing over the creature’s head, and the possibility of the silver touching more of the creature than necessary is not something Daichi wants to happen.</p>
<p>Daichi usually has steady hands, and they do not fail him as he deftly unties the knots. Under his fingers, he can feel the creature’s skin thrumming, the only sign that he is in discomfort in any way. As the braided ribbons loosen, Daichi feels the shaking grow, the bells humming just slightly, as the binding is slowly, painfully, unraveled.</p>
<p>“I am sorry,” Daichi whispers. Before he can second guess himself, he pulls the harness off, the bells jingling merrily as they are disrupted. The creature lets out a short, trilling cry of pain, and Daichi throws the harness after the crown, the jangle of the bells stopping quickly.</p>
<p>Without the bells, Daichi notices the creature’s posture begin to sag, his muscles shaking from exhaustion and neglect. “My name is Daichi,” Daichi says as he pulls out iron cuffs that Koush gave him from his bag. They are padded, at Daichi’s insistence, so that while they would be uncomfortable, they would not burn the merrow’s skin, like these shackles are doing now. Daichi slips one of the padded bands onto the creature’s wrist, then unlocks the shackle. The creature’s arm falls, and he makes no move to adjust it. After a few wary seconds, Daichi begins to do the same for the second one.</p>
<p>As soon as the shackle’s lock clicks open, the creature pounces. Daichi had already expected it, so he catches the creature and turns them both, pinning the creature on his back. He snarls and snaps, eyes wild with fear and anger. “Listen to me, <i>listen to me!</i> You won’t escape. Even if you kill me, you don’t know where your skin is.”</p>
<p>Daichi hisses as the creature bites into his wrist with teeth sharper than a human’s, but he holds firm. “You have the choice to stay here, tied with all those awful, cursed trinkets for who knows how long, or come with me, where I can feed you and treat your wounds. You won’t win this fight. The decision is yours to make..”</p>
<p>The creature struggles silently for a few more seconds before his whole body sags. Daichi is surprised, but he holds his grip firm until the creature turns his face away, his neck bared to Daichi. As someone who has handled animals his whole life, Daichi knows what a sign of submission looks like. As an extra precaution, Daichi ties a long white ribbon to one of the merrow’s wrists, gripping the other end in his hand firmly. He stands, watches the merrow struggle to sit, then rise to his knees. He glares disdainfully at the hand Daichi offers to help him up and stands on his own, almost collapsing as soon as he is upright.</p>
<p>He is taller than Daichi, and if the merrow were in better health Daichi would be nervous about losing a fight to him, but after their scuffle, Daichi is fairly sure he can take whatever this merrow tries. The only real danger is his teeth.</p>
<p>Daichi scuffs his toe through the salt circle, then gently coaxes the merrow past the iron bars into the iron filled hallway. He hears a slight whimper escape the merrow, most likely from all the iron embedded in the walls around him.</p>
<p>The walk up the stairs is arduous. By the time they make it to the top, the merrow has shed his remaining dignity, pressing heavily against Daichi’s side, breath hot and quick in Daichi’s ear. It is the first time Daichi has heard an uncontrolled sound coming from the creature, and it ignites those embers of anger deep in his stomach.</p>
<p>“My house is across the field, not far,” Daichi assures him. The merrow closes his eyes for a moment before standing fully upright. Daichi takes the creature’s wrist in his hand, feeling the muscles tense. “I promise, trying to escape would not be in your best interest.”</p>
<p>The merrow narrows his eyes. He looks like he might, finally, say something, but instead he just turns away, scans the horizon with his piercing gaze. Daichi can see the longing for the ocean in his eyes. After a few moments, Daichi begins moving, the merrow following behind, wrist still clasped in Daichi’s grip.</p>
<p>Koushi looks up as they approach. The creature behind Daichi slows. “Let’s get you some food,” Koushi says to the merrow after they study each other for a few strange seconds. Daichi looks from Koushi to the merrow, but they both show no sign of anything out of the ordinary, so he figures now is not the time to press the issue of what he perceived as strange. </p>
<p>Koushi leads the way through the field back to Daichi’s home. When they reach the back door, the creature’s steps grow heavy. Daichi looks back to see the merrow’s face twisted in a hesitant, almost nervous expression, but he does not resist when Daichi pulls him through the door once Koushi has disassembled the various charms around the doorframe.</p>
<p>“Do you have a name?” Daichi asks after he has settled the creature on the sofa, turning to the stove to start a kettle. When the merrow doesn’t answer, Daichi goes to his medicines and grabs a soothing salve Koushi nods his okay to when he shows it to him, and some bandages for the cuts Daichi sees peeking through the wide shirt collar and the merrow’s bare feet. </p>
<p>“I’ll finish the tea and make some dinner, if you want to get him more comfortable?” Koushi offers, and Daichi nods gratefully. He turns back to the stillest part of the house, where the merrow is sitting, eyes still trained on Daichi. Daichi swallows. He figures he should get used to the attention, as his actions are so different from everyone else this poor merrow had interacted with.</p>
<p>“Can I dress your wounds?” Daichi asks, opening the salve and unwrapping the bandages. The merrow’s eyes dart curiously to the salve, and Daichi watches his nostrils flare just slightly as he smells it. His fingers, long, pale, beautiful, dart out to touch the bandages, flighty as a bird, as if he expects the bandages to burn him. When they do not, he looks back at Daichi. Daichi holds out a hand, and the merrow reaches toward him, still hesitant, to rest his hand in Daichi’s.</p>
<p>Koushi is humming softly in the kitchen as he puts together their dinner. “We should wash your wounds first,” Daichi says finally after examining the cuts and burned skin on the merrow’s wrist. “I can run a bath, if you would like?”</p>
<p>As before, Daichi doesn’t get a response other than an intense stare, so he makes the executive decision to at least fill up the tub. If the merrow doesn’t use it, Daichi will. The Old Cells always make him feel dirty, as if he needs to shed his skin to get rid of the history of the place.</p>
<p>As Daichi waits for the water to fill, he sits on the toilet, closes his eyes, and finally confronts the reality of what he has done. He has brought a wild, magical creature into his house, into his life, a creature whose magic is being used to power this island and killing him in the process.</p>
<p>The last time a merrow had been caught, her scales had powered the island for a year and a half. Before that, the island had learned that killing the merrow rendered the scales unusable. Daichi swallows hard, remembering the fury that had been unleashed upon the island that year…</p>
<p>He turns the faucet off, places an extra towel out, and walks back into the main portion of the house.</p>
<p>The merrow hasn’t moved from his place on Daichi’s sofa, but he has bent his knees, his chin resting on top of them, arms wrapped around his legs. His eyes track Koushi’s movements in the kitchen. Daichi wonders how exhausting it would be to stay so on guard, to take in every little movement.</p>
<p>“The bath is ready, if you would like to use it.” The merrow turns his gaze to Daichi, contemplating something, but Daichi does not know what. The silence stretches just shy of too long before the merrow is standing up, every movement graceful, regardless of how sickly he is. Daichi smiles, relieved, then motions the creature into his bathroom. “Um...do you need….assistance?”</p>
<p>The merrow’s lips twitch, the first sign of any sort of emotion other than hatred or anger, and he shakes his head. Daichi lets out a relieved breath. “Perfect. I’ll find you something to wear. You’re taller than me, but I think I can scrounge up something.”</p>
<p>The merrow shrugs and walks into the bathroom. He doesn’t shut the door, and Daichi isn’t sure whether to be relieved at the gesture or not, so he just leaves the creature be and goes into his room to find said clothes.</p>
<p>He leaves the clothes just inside the washroom door, then joins Koushi in the kitchen, where he is plating chicken and salad. Daichi begins to pour the tea. </p>
<p>“I don’t think he will attack you in your sleep,” Koushi says finally. “He is too smart for that. But he won’t give up on escaping. Luckily, your house is already charmed so he can’t really get out without your permission. I can help you set up some more charms, if you would like.”</p>
<p>“Honestly, I wouldn’t be upset if he did. Escape, I mean.” Daichi deposits the cups onto the table, then goes to get silverware while Koushi puts the plates at each person’s designated spot. “But for now, let’s just think about getting him more healthy.”</p>
<p>Koushi sighs. “I am sure it is rough just being away from his skin. The only thing this does is make your home a prison. A better one than the Old Cells, sure, but a prison nonetheless.”</p>
<p>They stop talking when the merrow in question appears back in the room. The clothes are ill fitting because of his height, and the fact that Daichi is much broader than him. He will have to ask Koushi to either lend him something or pick something up for him.</p>
<p>“Are you hungry?” Koushi asks, gesturing to the table. The merrow eyes the food distrustfully. Daichi sits down, Koushi following him. After a few minutes, the merrow sits too, eyes darting from the food, to Daichi and Koushi, back to the food. Koushi catches Daichi’s eyes and nods slightly to the food, indicating that they should continue on as normal. Daichi does as asked, picking up his fork and spearing at a chunk of potato.</p>
<p>“I have tomorrow off, so I think I’m going to go down into town,” Koushi says, and proceeds to detail his day. Daichi relaxes, joining into the conversation. Out of the corner of his eye, he watches the merrow pick up the fork and begin to eat, slowly at first, then ravenously. Koushi had already piled his plate with more food than theirs, but he says, offhand, “Let me know if you want me to get you more,” and goes back to his conversation with Daichi without waiting for an acknowledgement.</p>
<p>The merrow does, in fact, want another helping, and another, so much that Daichi wonders if they had ever fed him successfully before now. “Should we dress your wounds?” Daichi asks once he is sure that the merrow is done eating. The creature hesitates, his big eyes back to examining Daichi, before nodding.</p>
<p>Daichi gathers the supplies on the table. He starts with the blistered skin on the merrow’s wrists. The merrow tenses when the cool salve touches the red, irritated skin, but as Daichi continues to massage the salve into the merrow’s wounds, his muscles relax.</p>
<p>After his wrists, Daichi rubs the salve on the rest of the wounds that he can see. “Can you take off the shirt?” Daichi asks softly. The merrow strips himself of it, a small hiss of pain escaping from the cage of his teeth.</p>
<p>Daichi winces when he sees the lashes on the merrow’s back. He sees something akin to a burn around his neck, down his chest, most likely where the ribboned bells had sat.</p>
<p>“Try this on the burns from the ribboned bells,” Suga says, handing Daichi a vial of something that looks like water. He opens it, notices the way the merrow perks up, sniffing into the air. “I thought he might like that.”</p>
<p>“There’s salt in this. Won’t it hurt him?” Daichi asks, smelling it again.</p>
<p>“It’s ocean water,” Suga says. “Mixed with myrrh, so it’s expensive. He should be fine..”</p>
<p>Daichi takes the dropper and places a few drops onto the merrow’s collarbone. He holds his breath, waiting for the jolt of pain, but instead, the merrow relaxes, a soft hum leaving his throat. Daichi takes a small square of bandage and rubs the mixture into the merrow’s skin.</p>
<p>After that gesture, the merrow seems to have decided Daichi is trustworthy because he is pliant for the rest of Daichi’s ministrations.</p>
<p>When Daichi is done, the merrow’s eyes are closed. Daichi would have thought he had fallen asleep, if not for the fact that his eyes open every time Daichi takes his hands from his skin. Suga had slipped out the door after giving Daichi the vial of healing tonic, and both Daichi and the merrow turn their attention to the door when Suga steps back in, lugging two buckets. Daichi knows what it is by the way the merrow’s gaze sharpens, his body automatically leaning toward Suga.</p>
<p>“You can go get some more tomorrow,” Suga huffs, jerking his head up to try and get a stray lock of hair out of his eyes. “I should go home. Are you going to be alright alone tonight?”</p>
<p>Daichi studies the merrow, who glances back at him, eyes suddenly wide and innocent instead of sharp and wary. “I think we will manage.”</p>
<p>Suga nods. He waves farewell, slipping back out the door, melting into the darkness, leaving Daichi and this beautiful, wild creature alone.</p>
<p>Daichi can already feel the merrow’s eyes back on him, tracking his every move. Daichi ignores him, stacking the used dishes and taking them to the sink. He hesitates before deciding to do them later, once he finally gets the merrow settled.</p>
<p>“You can sleep in my bed tonight,” Daichi says finally. “We can make other arrangements tomorrow, when we have more time.”</p>
<p>The merrow doesn’t respond. Daichi sighs. He doesn’t know what he expected. At least he hadn’t had to fight him again, which was a plus. So far, the merrow seemed relatively docile. Daichi just hopes everything stays that way.</p>
<p>Daichi is rummaging in his trunk of blankets, hoping that he has another set of sheets, when he hears, “Tooru.”</p>
<p>He jerks his head up toward the merrow, who hasn’t moved. “What was that?”</p>
<p>The merrow’s jaw works for a second before he speaks again. “My name. You may call me Tooru.”</p>
<p>His voice is a rich tenor, musical in a strangely inhuman way. It sounds like the rise and fall of ocean waves. Everything about him is a direct contrast to the island folk. Lithe, where many are stocky, tall, where most are short. He seems to belong more to this island than anyone else here.</p>
<p>“Tooru,” Daichi says, the name rolling on his tongue. “Nice to meet you.”</p>
<p>Tooru’s lips curl into a disdainful smile. Daichi winces internally, but instead of apologizing, he just turns back to the trunk, where he finally unearths his spare sheet.</p>
<p>“Why are you doing this?” Tooru asks, startling Daichi once again. Luckily, the sheets aren’t breakable, as they go tumbling out of his grip. “Why are you...helping me?”</p>
<p>Daichi refolds the sheets as he considers his answer, even though he is about to unfold them to put on the bed. “I think that the way they were treating you was uncalled for.”</p>
<p>“You would rather they treat a prisoner like a king before they sacrifice him to this island’s people?” Tooru asks, his voice lilting in mockery.</p>
<p>Daichi’s knuckles turn white where he grips the sheets. He doesn’t look at Tooru as he walks toward the bedroom. “I would rather they not sacrifice anything at all, to be frank.”</p>
<p>Daichi doesn’t hear Tooru stand to follow him, just knows he is there because of that ever-present stare. “That is not how a pact works. A sacrifice must be made to keep the power at bay.”</p>
<p>Daichi turns his attention sharply to Tooru. He stands tall in the doorway, wavy in the soft lamplight. “Are you quoting something?”</p>
<p>Tooru shrugs. When it is clear he is not going to say anything else, Daichi begins to change the bedsheets. Tooru doesn’t move, just continues watching Daichi go about cleaning the room to make it comfortable for its guest. When he notices Tooru’s expression wander around the room, eyes lingering on distinctly human things--electric lights, his watch--Daichi realizes that maybe the gaze is curious. Maybe Tooru is watching him so raptly, not just because he thinks he is in danger, but also because he is curious about how humans live.</p>
<p>Questions about where Tooru had been when he was captured, what he was doing, flood Daichi’s mind, but he bites his tongue before he can ask them.</p>
<p>“You should sleep,” Daichi says. Tooru cocks his head to the side. He eyes the bed, and Daichi can sense the relief Tooru is feeling at having somewhere comfortable to rest. “In the morning, we can discuss the rest of our living arrangements.”</p>
<p>Tooru nods. He walks further into the bedroom, running his hands over the quilt on the bed. He glances over at Daichi for just a second before crawling into the bed, curling underneath the blankets. “Goodnight,” Daichi says, voice hushed. He reaches over and flips the lamp off, plunging the room into darkness. Tooru doesn’t say anything, so, with that, Daichi exits the room quietly, closing the door so that just a crack of light seeps in. There is a window in Daichi’s room, but he has a layer of salt on the sill, as well as iron decorations outside, which should deter any sort of magical creature from getting in or out. He hadn’t realized how tightly sealed his house was until this very question had arisen. He wonders when he got into the habit of keeping up these superstitions. He wonders if Koushi has anything to do with them.</p>
<p>No matter. Daichi needs his rest, just as much as the poor merrow does. He needs to figure out how to get all of them out of this situation, alive preferably.</p>
<p>Daichi makes himself comfortable on his sofa. When he closes his eyes, he sees wide, curious brown eyes staring back at him. In his dream, they are standing outside, face to face. The wind is whipping Tooru’s hair about, but he makes no move to fix it. Daichi reaches out, his fingers brushing over the pale, smooth skin of the merrow’s cheek. The merrow stays stone still, cold as gray ocean water in winter. Daichi tries to tell him that he’s sorry, that he will make sure everything is okay, but his words build up inside of his throat, none of them able to escape.</p>
<p><i>A sacrifice must be made, to keep the magic at bay.</i> The words echo in Daichi’s head as Tooru fades away and he is left standing at the edge of a cliff alone, looking out over the water. <i>A sacrifice, a sacrifice; sacrifices run in your family, Daichi, love, and best well to remember your fate.</i></p>
<p>The voice sounds like Koushi’s mother’s voice, or what he remembers of it, since he hasn’t heard it in years. But the lilt is the same, like an ocean breeze beckoning the tide in.</p>
<p>Daichi is suddenly on his back, Tooru above him, teeth bared like they had been in the Cells, and he no longer looks human. He looks feral. He feels a hand press down, <i>in</i> his chest, and suddenly he is breathing in ocean water, his body filling up from the hole that had been made in his chest…</p>
<p>Daichi sits up with a gasp. He glances wildly around, but everything is dark and still, the constant <i>shush, shush</i> of the ocean echoing distantly in the background. He closes his eyes, tries to get his breathing back to normal.</p>
<p>He doesn’t remember falling back asleep, but when he opens his eyes there is sun just peeking through the curtains. He blinks, sits up, and sees Tooru sitting on the floor with his hands in one of the buckets of seawater Koushi had dragged up to his house the night before. “Good morning,” Daichi finally says after they stare at each other for a few long minutes. “Did you sleep well?”</p>
<p>The merrow looks back at him with wide eyes, as if he had just been caught stealing. Daichi can’t help but laugh, which makes the merrow pout, a very human expression Daichi is surprised to see on his face. “Let’s see what we have for breakfast.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Here's the art for this fic by amber-flicker!</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>Thanks so much!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Swell</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Having Tooru around is like having a cat, one who feigns disinterest in everything but still follows Daichi around all day. Daichi had told Keishin that he was going to have to take a few days off, and Keishin gave it to him without asking questions, just said, “Be safe. Don’t be rash.”</p>
<p>Daichi had nodded, but looking at the merrow hovering over his table as Daichi prepares dinner, he thinks the warning had come too late.</p>
<p>“Do you have food preferences?” Daichi asks as Tooru picks suspiciously at the vegetables on his plate.</p>
<p>“Fish,” Tooru says immediately. “But not cooked. And...I like this.”</p>
<p>“Potatoes,” Daichi says with a smile. Tooru nods. “You can try the fish, but I am not sure your body will like it.”</p>
<p>Tooru frowns, glancing down at himself before turning his attention back to his food. Daichi wonders how it feels to be him, trapped in a part of his body he isn’t used to. “Do you spend a lot of time in this body?”</p>
<p>Daichi already knows the answer, but he can’t figure out a better way to engage Tooru in conversation. Daichi is sure that any question he asks will be regarded suspiciously before being dismissed.</p>
<p>Tooru shakes his head. “Sometimes I watch humans. Not yours, but others, on ships and the bigger islands.”</p>
<p>The rest of dinner is quiet. Tooru eats quicker than Daichi, and when he is done, he looks around the kitchen, much more curious than he was the night before. It is like all of his suspicion has been replaced by fascination, now that he sees Daichi as somewhat trustworthy. “You can ask anything you want,” Daichi says, startling Tooru out of his thoughts.</p>
<p>It is like Daichi has turned on a spout. Tooru asks him about his appliances, how the oven works, expresses his awe at the way the lights flick on and off so easily every time he flips a switch. He admires the decorations on Daichi’s walls, stopping to stare long and hard at one of the only photographs Daichi has hanging on the wall, one of his family, taken when he was about seven years old. He is on his father’s shoulders, and his older brother is holding his mother’s hand. Daichi hasn’t seen Reiji since their parents died, and he prefers not to think of him.</p>
<p>When Daichi finally gets up to clean the dishes, Tooru joins him at the sink, watching the water stream from the faucet. He asks Daichi where the water goes, where the water comes from, why it doesn’t have salt. Daichi huffs a laugh. “You talk a lot.”</p>
<p>Tooru’s lips pout out and he makes a soft sound, almost like a musical note. He sounds--irritated? Frustrated? “This is the only way you communicate, besides your unspoken non-language, which is not easy for humans to understand, much less me. You don’t even use your bodies to communicate with each other. How am I supposed to learn something, or tell you what I want, if I don’t speak with you?”</p>
<p>It is a valid question. “I’m sorry,” Daichi says, turning off the water and drying his hands on a hand towel. “How did you learn how to speak, anyway?”</p>
<p>“Human speech is easy,” Tooru says. “We just...know it. But all human things are not easy. We don’t need most of your gadgets, obviously. I like them though.”</p>
<p>Tooru reaches over, turns the faucet on. His hand darts, lightning fast, toward the stream of water before retracting again.</p>
<p>“Did it hurt you?” Daichi asks dryly. Tooru wrinkles his nose, then puts his hand back under the stream of water. “You can take another bath, if you would like. We should rebandage your wounds, too.”</p>
<p>Tooru nods. Daichi doesn’t miss the way his fingers drift to the cuff on his right wrist. Daichi has noticed that Tooru does it whenever he feels uncomfortable. Daichi remembers Tooru’s comment about using his body to speak, so he reaches out, places his hand over Tooru’s. Startled, Tooru glances up. Daichi runs his fingers under the cuff. “Does it still irritate your skin?”</p>
<p>Tooru shakes his head. “It makes me feel...heavy. Like my blood doesn’t want to pump. It...suppresses me. The way I communicate. The way my body communicates to me. I don’t know.” He lets out another trill of notes; this time, the frustration had an underlying sadness. Daichi realizes that the sounds he makes are similar to a dolphin’s, just a little smoother, more refined. He wonders if they carry underwater.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>Tooru pulls away. “I will bathe. And then will you put that really nice salve on? And the water solution?”</p>
<p>Daichi laughs. “Of course.”</p>
<p>Tooru smiles. He follows Daichi in the bathroom and before he can ask Daichi what he is doing, Daichi starts to explain how to plug the drain, to turn the faucet on the left for hot and right for cold. Tooru goes through all the towels in the cupboard and picks the fluffiest one to use. “Let me know if you need anything else,” Daichi says. Tooru nods, his focus still on the towel.</p>
<p>For the first time all day, Daichi is alone. He glances back toward the bathroom, where the door is mostly closed, and sees a thin stripe of pale skin as Tooru drops himself into the tub. Daichi turns abruptly, his face warm. He looks at the book he had left on the sofa the night before, but he doesn’t think he can focus on the words. So he turns to the radio and flips it on. Then, with nothing else to do, he tidies up the living room even though it is spotless. He even refolds the blankets he is going to use in less than an hour. He just feels so restless.</p>
<p>“Dai-chan, where is the music coming from?”</p>
<p>Daichi jumps when Tooru speaks. Daichi whirls around to see him standing barefoot, water from his hair dripping onto his nightshirt, towel clutched in his hand. Daichi sighs. “You’re supposed to dry it.”</p>
<p>He takes the towel from Tooru’s hand, throws it over his head. Tooru makes a noise of surprise, but allows Daichi to towel-dry his hair. When he is finished, Tooru’s hair is a tangle of knots. Daichi laughs at the mess.</p>
<p> “Don’t laugh at me!” Tooru runs his hands through his hair. “Dai-chan, you never answered my question.”</p>
<p>“When did you start calling me Dai-chan?” he asks. Tooru doesn’t answer, just walks over to the radio, putting his ear closer to it so he can figure out where the sound is coming from. He runs his hand on the sides of the radio, finds the volume dial, and twists it. He gives an excited chirp when he notices how he can control the volume. He finds the tuning dial and twists it, too. Static overtakes the music until all that is left is white noise. Tooru frowns as he tries to find the station again.</p>
<p>“What happened?”</p>
<p>“You have to find the right frequency,” Daichi says, twisting the dial to another radio show. Tooru looks at him, eyes wide. “They have plays, game shows, sports broadcasting, music. A lot of different things.”</p>
<p>“Can we go back to the music?” Tooru asks. Daichi nods and turns the dial back to his usual station.</p>
<p>Daich grabs the bandages and salve out of his medicine cabinet. Tooru reaches out his arms, and Dachi repeats the process he had used the day before.</p>
<p>“This body feels things differently. I feel like this skin should dry out without being in water, but it does not. Everything is very...sensitive, I think. Loud, and bright.”</p>
<p>Daichi hums as he finishes bandaging Tooru’s wrists. He lifts Tooru’s shirt, examines the long cuts on his back. “What did they hit you with?”</p>
<p>Tooru shrugs. “It had iron on it, but they put something over my eyes so I could not see.”</p>
<p>Daichi presses his palm against a part of Tooru’s back that is not cut. Tooru hums, a different sound than he has made before. It is almost as if he had imitated the hum Daichi had made just a few minutes ago. Daichi smiles, runs his thumb up the bottom of Tooru’s spine twice, before finishing his bandaging. He thinks maybe he can get used to having Tooru in his house for the foreseeable future.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>After three or so weeks, Daichi’s cannot remember a time without Tooru. Tooru stays inside the house, taking every opportunity to open the windows, but he cannot get past the charms Koushi and Daichi check religiously every night. Daichi has started going back to work, never more grateful for his half-days than he is then. Sometimes, Koushi will come sit with Tooru on days Daichi knows he will be gone late. </p>
<p>Tooru is fascinated with everything. He is like an excited child as he explores Daichi’s house. He questions Daichi about every little thing he comes across. Daichi wasn’t sure if he would have the patience for Tooru after a week, but he has gotten used to the questions now, almost answers them before Tooru knows to ask. </p>
<p>One night they are sitting on the couch after a particularly exhausting day. Daichi had allowed Tooru to go out to see his chickens at his insistence, and had accidentally spooked one, which in turn spooked the rest. Tooru has a habit of making a mess of something he does not understand.</p>
<p>“Who is in your portrait, Dai-chan?” Tooru asks suddenly. His head is turned toward the wall, and Daichi can just make out the expression of curiosity on Tooru’s face as he takes in the photograph for what must be the twentieth time. For some reason, Tooru is always drawn back to that decoration in Daichi’s living room.</p>
<p>“Oh, that’s my family,” Daichi says, trying to sound dismissive, but it comes out like a question instead.</p>
<p>“Where are they?” Tooru asks.</p>
<p>“Well,” Daichi says. He has not told the specifics of his parents passing in years, not since all family had been informed and Reiji had left home. “My father and mother died in a storm when I was fifteen. The island was in an upheaval, but they had business on the mainland. My brother Reiji moved as soon as he got word of their passing. Haven’t talked to him since.”</p>
<p>“Oh,” Tooru says, his voice small. “That sounds very sad. Is that why you live alone? Why did you not go with your brother?”</p>
<p>Daichi does not want to have this conversation, but Tooru’s eyes are soft with compassion and bright with curiosity. It is the first time someone beside Koushi has asked Daichi these questions. “I guess because I like it here too much. Reiji and I...we get along, but we aren’t close. He didn’t...He just left without a word. But it’s fine. I like it here. I can’t imagine leaving this place. It’s home.”</p>
<p>The music is soft in the background. Daichi closes his eyes for a second, trying to keep his emotions at bay as they start pouring out, one by one. Anger, hurt, sadness, resignation. Acceptance. Sometimes, Daichi wishes he could just up and leave like Reiji. It would make his life easier. But whenever he thinks about it, tries to plan out what leaving would look like, it feels like tearing off his own skin.</p>
<p>Daichi’s eyes fly open when he feels a touch on his forearm. He jerks his head to look at Tooru, who is watching him with those expressive brown eyes. He feels Tooru’s fingers press down lightly on his skin, then drag down to his wrist, where Tooru does the same on his pulse point before dropping his hand to the couch. “Well, I am happy you are here. I miss my family too, but being with you.” Tooru shrugs, glances away, back to the picture. Daichi watches the long column of Tooru’s neck as he cocks his head to the side. “It makes this situation easier.”</p>
<p>Daichi doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t know what to say to the confession. Instead, he slides his fingers across the back of Tooru’s hand, slotting them between Tooru’s pale, bony fingers. Tooru does not turn to look at him, but Daichi sees the way his cheeks turn up in a smile.</p>
<p>They shouldn’t be doing this, but Daichi hasn’t wanted anything else in such a long time.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Koushi’s life falls into a very strange pattern. In the morning, he goes to his part time job at the general grocery store. When his shift ends, he visits his father at his office. If he is having a good day, Koushi leaves after about ten minutes. If he is not, Koushi will spend lunch with him and try to help him finish whatever design project he has to have done and shipped out to the mainland.</p>
<p>Koushi then goes to visit Daichi and Tooru. Daichi and Tooru seem to have fallen into a hesitant dance around each other, which Koushi finds amusing as well as alarming. He has always known that Daichi, for as even keeled and logical as he is about his approach to life, is drawn to the magical, mystical part of his heritage. Koushi knows he cannot fix this thing that is starting between Tooru and Daichi. He doesn’t know if it needs fixing.</p>
<p>After his visit to Daichi and Tooru, he goes back home to complete his nightly routine of making dinner, tidying up, and tucking Hina into bed.</p>
<p>Once his house is settled, he goes down to the ocean.</p>
<p>Sometimes, he takes trinkets to offer the sea, other times, just his memories. He finds himself out there longer and longer, finds it more difficult to leave each time he has to. It is a dangerous lullaby, calling to him. He knows it, but he cannot stop.</p>
<p>One day, after a month of this strange calm, Daichi asks him to come stay with Tooru through dinner. “Old man Ukai asked me if I could go out today, and Sato’s son is sick, so I’m going to help him at the butcher’s. I won’t be done until nightfall. I haven’t left Tooru for that long before by himself. It’s just this once. I just don’t want any problems with him being alone for so long.”</p>
<p>Koushi knows what Daichi is implying. He has noticed the way voices hush as Daichi walks by, their eyes shifting toward his land, as if they can determine whether or not they will get to the house before Daichi. He knows that Daichi is hiding the fact that his house has almost been broken into at least twice, that if it wasn’t for the extra protection on his windows and doors, Tooru would have already been a target. “Of course I will.”</p>
<p>So that is how Koushi finds himself sitting in a chair across from Tooru, watching him play with a silver coin, balancing it on his long fingers before trying to spin it, probably something he had watched Daichi do. It is captivating, the way the light glints off of the silver. “You gave Dai-chan all of these, didn’t you?” Tooru says. Koushi jumps, his attention focusing back on the merrow. “The offerings. You made them for Dai-chan. Why?”</p>
<p>Koushi shrugs. “Sometimes I get paranoid. You can feel it, can’t you? The land is different here.”</p>
<p>Tooru stares at him through narrowed, calculating eyes. Koushi smiles. He has perfected this innocent, angelic look that makes everyone take him at face-value. Tooru just frowns as Koushi turns to start preparing an early meal.</p>
<p>“I know that you make most of the offerings on the island,” Tooru says, still fishing for more information. Koushi does not allow himself to falter as he cracks eggs on the stove. “You feel like the ocean.”</p>
<p>“I do make a lot of offerings,” Koushi says. He hears Tooru make a few sounds to express his frustration and Koushi smirks down at the pan. “My mother taught me the importance of making sure we keep strong ties to our neighbors. Come eat.”</p>
<p>Tooru looks suspiciously at the omelette Koushi has dished up. “I promise, you will like everything in it.”</p>
<p>“How would you know?” Tooru sounds like a petulant child. Koushi hides a smile by taking a drink of water.</p>
<p>“If I can get my little sister to eat it, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it too.” He watches smugly as Tooru takes a few small bites. At this point, Koushi would consider Tooru a friend. He likes the way Tooru expresses himself, regardless of his emotions, that he is sharp as a blade when it comes to intelligence. Even his petulance and childlike behavior is endearing. It is no wonder Daichi has become enamored with him.</p>
<p>After dinner, Koushi watches Tooru gravitate toward the radio. Daichi had told Koushi about Tooru’s fascination with music. Koushi finishes up Daichi’s dishes, cleans the countertops and the table, then decides that Tooru should be okay by himself.</p>
<p>On his way out the door, Tooru says, “Does Daichi know what you really are?” </p>
<p>Koushi turns slowly to see Tooru staring at him from above his knees, his eyes that same, infuriating innocent they always seem to be. His lips quirk at whatever expression he sees on Koushi’s face. “Ah, not the whole truth, then.”</p>
<p>“How,” Koushi starts to say, but his mouth is dry. Of course Tooru had been prying; he obviously knew that Koushi had some sort of connection to the mystical part of the island, but he didn’t realize Tooru knew the full extent of his secret. He swallows a few times, trying to force the words out. “When did you figure it out?”</p>
<p>Tooru shrugs. “It wasn’t hard. You have a certain...scent. We all do. Although, yours is very weak.” Tooru wrinkles his nose. “You wouldn’t give me any more clues, though, so I decided to confront you. Do you ever shed your human skin?”</p>
<p>“Have you met anyone on this island?” Koushi asks, and he can’t stop a grating laugh from bubbling out of his mouth. “If they knew how...inhuman, I actually am...No. It’s better to not think about it. Hina doesn’t have a skin, and I am not going to put my family at risk. I’m half anyway. I don’t need to go into the ocean.”</p>
<p>“But you want to,” Tooru says softly and, once again, there is a mutual feeling of understanding that thrums between them.</p>
<p>“Just like you want to be human sometimes,” Koushi murmurs. Tooru shrugs, then puts his face in his knees. Soft jazz croons through the house. Koushi bites his lip, cocking his head to the side, trying to decide whether or not to pursue the conversation. In the end, he slips out the door.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Cusp</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You can sleep in the bed too.”</p>
<p>Daichi looks at Tooru, who is playing with the small collection of marbles Daichi had scrounged up a few days previous. Tooru has slowly become more and more antsy, trapped in the house with nowhere to go. He has explored every nook and cranny the house provides--Daichi knows, because Tooru keeps bringing him random things he finds in drawers and closets, asking what they do or where Daichi got them.</p>
<p>After the first night, Daichi didn’t really have the heart to move Tooru to the sofa or the floor. He thought about investing in another bed, but he definitely does not have the money for that. He had sold the spare one for a reason. He barely has money for food for the both of them. So he had settled for the sofa, which has been fine, but he won’t say he wouldn’t mind a week of sleeping in an actual bed.</p>
<p>“It is very big,” Tooru says. “I am used to sleeping close to my...my…”</p>
<p>Tooru makes a frustrated sound, one that Daichi has become used to. Tooru uses it to express his frustration with vocabulary, or when he does not understand something Daichi is trying to explain. “We are like...platonic mates? More than friends, but we do not mate. We have connected our energies, our magics. He is probably very worried about me.”</p>
<p>Daichi watches Tooru’s long fingers flick a marble into the others, the action making a satisfying <i>crack.</i> “I have only been separated from him for so long one other time. My last visit to human land. Except that time, I did it on purpose. It was...before this era. I mean, there were electric lights, but they were very new. I do not remember the...radio. To be honest, once I go back to the sea, a lot of the memories are fuzzy.”</p>
<p>Daichi frowns. Tooru reaches out, puts his hand on Daichi’s forearm for just a second, his fingers pressing gently on his pulse point, before withdrawing.</p>
<p>Tooru has been doing that a lot lately, giving Daichi brief touches, pressing up against him in a strangely comforting motion for just an instant before pulling away, going back to whatever he had been doing before his touch. </p>
<p>Tooru is beautiful in the way the ocean is beautiful, with the sun glinting off the waves, blinding and dangerous but fascinating. Daichi is slowly drowning. “How old are you?”</p>
<p>Tooru shrugs. “Age is...different, underwater. I am past adolescence, but not far. Human bodies age so quickly.” Tooru looks at the backs of his hands as if he can see them growing old. For all Daichi knows, he might.</p>
<p>They sit in silence, Daichi watching Tooru amuse himself with the marbles for a little while longer. Their nights have followed this lulling pattern, conversations that rise and fall between them, bringing new information to the surface in odd, unpredictable waves. He loves the way Tooru’s voice wraps around his feelings, excited, frustrated, sad. Daichi had never known the importance of feelings until this strange creature had derailed his life so effectively.</p>
<p>When the radio show is over, Tooru yawns. If Daichi allowed him, he would curl up next to the radio like a cat next to a stove, waiting until the music starts up again. Tooru doesn’t sleep well. Daichi knows, because he has also had some trouble sleeping. Ever since the first night, with the strange dream/nightmare, Daichi has had to swim through half-formed images of merrows, his family, the island. He wakes up exhausted every morning, frustrated he cannot piece together what he feels with what he saw, and Tooru is no different. </p>
<p>Some nights, Tooru wanders the house restlessly. He studies the charms on the door, as if he is trying to leave, then returns to the bed to toss and turn all night. There have been a few mornings that Daichi has woken to Tooru’s sheets soaked with the seawater that Daichi still brings home because it comforts Tooru. Daichi sighs. “Come on. Let’s get you to bed.”</p>
<p>“Sleep with me, Dai-chan,” he says, voice hazy as he follows Daichi to the bedroom. Daichi sighs as he holds out Tooru’s clothes. Tooru looks at them as if he has never seen clothes, as if he has never changed himself before. His expression is too innocent to be real. Tooru does this sometimes, pretends to forget how to do a task or feign misunderstanding, when he is trying to talk Daichi into doing something for him.</p>
<p>“Fine. If you change, I’ll sleep in the bed.”</p>
<p>Tooru smiles, grabs the clothes from Daichi’s hands. He has never been shy about changing, and their close proximity does not make Tooru any more self-conscious than before. Daichi can’t help but admire Tooru’s lithe body, human in a way that is almost too perfect. He has wondered before what Tooru’s merrow body looks like, where his scales would meet his torso, if he had gills or fins, what he would look like as he cut into water with the sharp lines of his body. When Daichi realizes he has stared for longer than he anticipated, he looks away, blinking a few times to try and get the image of Tooru’s almost naked body out of his mind. He can’t have these thoughts.</p>
<p>He is thinking so hard about <i>not</i> thinking about Tooru, that he almost misses the way Tooru’s eyes are locked on him. He falters, but Tooru’s gaze does not. Instead, he looks at Daichi, eyes wide and questioning. Daichi rolls his eyes and continues getting ready for the evening. Tooru watches with that intensity that always startles Daichi, tracks his movement all the way until Daichi gets into bed on the opposite side of Tooru.</p>
<p>Daichi hasn’t had anyone in his bed in at least a year, platonic or romantic, and the shared space is almost worse than just sleeping on the small sofa. Daichi is hyper aware of the distance between his body and Tooru’s, of the fact that he could reach out and touch him if he wanted to. He wills his body to cooperate with him to <i>not</i> show that interest.</p>
<p>After at least a half hour of lying, tense, in the bed, Daichi feels Tooru’s hand, feather soft, against his wrist, then the back of his hand. “Will a bedtime story help you sleep?”</p>
<p>Daichi laughs, the tense atmosphere seeping away. “No, Tooru, I think that was enough.”</p>
<p>“Good, I’m sleepy. Night, Dai-chan.”</p>
<p>“Goodnight, Tooru.”</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Daichi wakes up hot. He groans, shifts, and bumps into something. His eyes fly open to see a mop of brown hair. As Daichi becomes more aware of his body, he realizes that Tooru has somehow tangled their legs up, pressed them close together, his head underneath Daichi’s chin. Daichi scrambles to get away from Tooru, almost falling off the bed in the process.</p>
<p>“Come back, Dai-chan was warm,” Tooru mumbles. His sleepy voice doesn’t match his amused eyes that peep over the quilt on the bed.</p>
<p>“Dai-chan has to get ready for work,” he says, adjusting his pants before opening the closet. He grabs random clothes and darts into the washroom. He is almost positive he hears Tooru laughing, but he doesn’t stick around long enough to find out.</p>
<p>This isn’t supposed to happen. This man...this <i>creature</i> is a sacrifice to the island. Daichi can’t have feelings for him, he can’t take advantage of him like that.</p>
<p>His shower is cold and unsatisfying, but it does get him out of the strange funk he has found himself in lately. When he is done, he finds Tooru dishing rice onto two plates. Sometimes, Tooru likes to try and help with the chores, but usually Daichi has to step in and fix whatever mess Tooru has found himself in. Maybe Daichi will try and find some easy recipe to teach Tooru that won’t cause a disaster if he messes it up.</p>
<p>“I don’t know what to pair with this,” Tooru says sadly, holding out the plates. Daichi smiles softly and pulls out some bacon and eggs, which he fries quickly. Tooru smiles bashfully. Daichi keeps waiting for him to acknowledge...something. Sleeping in the same bed. Waking up pressed together. Daichi’s...excitement. But Tooru just hums tunelessly as he eats, as usual.</p>
<p>“I will be later than usual again. Do you want Koushi to come over?”</p>
<p>Daichi watches Tooru’s eyes shift to the door, the windows. He isn’t scared, but calculating. “I will be fine. There is a storm coming in, and I have noticed that your humans do not like to go out when it is raining, as if they are scared of getting wet.”</p>
<p>“So I should take a jacket,” Daichi says. Tooru nods. “Thanks. See you tonight, then.”</p>
<p>“Bye, Dai-chan!”</p>
<p>His day is spent worrying over Tooru, then trying to get his mind off of his worries, only to go back to worrying again. He knows he is distracted, especially when Keishin asks him to go to the pub for lunch with him. They sit in a secluded corner, and Daichi braces himself for the lecture or interrogation that he is about to receive.</p>
<p>“You’ve been living with that merrow for almost two months now, right?” Keishin asks. Daichi nods. Keishin nods back, but he doesn’t say anything else, just begins eating his food, which sets Daichi on edge. After five minutes of watching Keishin eat, Daichi finally allows himself to relax and enjoy his meal as well.</p>
<p>“You’re a little different. A little--looser. Hell, I’ve never seen you have more purpose outside of my grandfather’s shop than I do now.” Keishin leans back in his seat, studies Daichi. Daichi has never felt so examined as he has between Tooru, Koushi, and now Keishin.</p>
<p>“What can I say, sir,” Daichi says finally, resigned. “It feels good to take care of someone.”</p>
<p>Keishin sighs heavily, throws some bills on the table, and stands. Daichi follows him out the door. Keishin offers Daichi a cigarette, but he shakes his head no. The rain is just misting, a prelude to the storm Tooru predicted. Daichi adjusts his hood as Keishin says, “You shouldn’t have to do that at your age. Find your purpose in taking care of things. You should be partying, living life, making dumb decisions.”</p>
<p>“Like you?” Daichi asks skeptically.</p>
<p>Keishin points his cigarette at him. “Don’t underestimate my rebellious streak. Just because I’m here now, doesn’t mean I didn’t cause my fair share of problems. All I’m saying is this. You’re young. You’ve had to grow up fast. But you have nothing keeping you here besides blood and some misguided sense of responsibility. You cannot take care of this problem on your own, and if, for some reason, a certain merrow were to magically find his skin, well. It wouldn’t be on you, you know.”</p>
<p>Daichi isn’t really sure what Keishin is trying to tell him, exactly, but it winds him tighter, his thoughts racing. Is he that transparent? Has Tooru really changed his life so much in so little time?</p>
<p>“Just think about it. See you tomorrow,” Keishin says, turning to go back to the shop. Daichi continues home.</p>
<p>His thoughts are still spinning when he gets there. Tooru has a board game set up on the table, but he seems to be more interested in the figurines that came with it than how to actually set up and play the game. He frowns when he sees Daichi, which is unusual. Usually, Tooru is quick to jump up and tell Daichi about what he learned or found that day. </p>
<p>“Is something wrong?” Tooru finally asks, his game abandoned.</p>
<p>“No, of course not.” Daichi pours himself a glass of water. When he is finished with it, he asks, “Why?”</p>
<p>Tooru cocks his head to the side. “Why what?”</p>
<p>“Why did you ask me if I was okay?”</p>
<p>“I did not. I asked you if something was wrong. So you are not okay.” Daichi sighs heavily, not in the mood to play these games Tooru doesn’t even realize he’s playing. Tooru’s grasp on human language is tenuous sometimes, but he can still twist his simple vocabulary in ways that gives Daichi a headache, especially after long days. So he doesn’t answer Tooru, just puts dinner on the stove. “I can see it, in the way you move, the way you are holding your body.”</p>
<p>Tooru walks closer, and Daichi shivers as Tooru takes two fingers and trails them down Daichi’s spine three times. “You are very tense. It makes me feel tense too, as if we are prey to an unknown beast. You keep getting more tense as the days go by.”</p>
<p>“An unknown beast is right,” Daichi mutters, but when Tooru cocks his head to the side in confusion, Daichi waves his words away. “Look, I just...I want to be clear. You are here temporarily, right? Whether it is because you’re going to die, or because you will find your skin and escape, this is all temporary. So I can’t...we can’t…”</p>
<p>Daichi can’t voice his fears. He can’t voice what he doesn’t even understand himself, this thing that has started building between him and Tooru.</p>
<p>Tooru sits down at the table. He says nothing more until Daichi joins him with their food. “I have a lot of feelings that I do not understand that concern you as well,” he says, as if he can read Daichi’s mind. “You have taken care of me, which makes me feel indebted to you, but I also know I am not indebted, because your people are going to kill me. I have wondered, if we had met somewhere else, if I would still have these confusing emotions about you, and I think I would. You are not my first human lover, so I have some experience with these feelings. I do not think they are completely dependent on you giving me a better choice than the Cells.”</p>
<p>Daichi sits, stunned, at Tooru’s revelation. Tooru continues eating. “I am still trying to understand how I feel,” he finally continues when Daichi doesn’t answer. “I will tell you when I have decided. But I am very grateful to you, and you are very nice.”</p>
<p>“Thank you,” Daichi says automatically. Tooru gives him a small smile.</p>
<p>“Does this mean Dai-chan will continue to sleep in the bed with me?” he asks. Daichi sighs, but he already knows Tooru has won the argument.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>A few weeks later, the lights flicker while Daichi is making breakfast. He glances up at the bare lightbulb, then over at Tooru, whose brow is furrowed in confusion. “It happens when we are running low on power,” Daichi explains softly, and Tooru tenses. Daichi is glad he doesn’t have to explain what that means. “I will talk to someone today. See what they plan on doing. If there is--I don’t know, a schedule or something.”</p>
<p>“A schedule for my demise. How nice of the humans to tell me how long they plan on torturing me.”</p>
<p>“Well, they wouldn’t tell you, to be frank,” Daichi points out. “Usually, they would leave you in the Old Cells, or maybe parade you around the island and make you watch as they tear the scales from your skin.”</p>
<p>Tooru ducks his head. Daichi sighs. He doesn’t know when during this last month he suddenly became so...protective, of this creature, so much so that he can’t even regulate his emotions. He just knows he doesn’t like to see Tooru like this, trying to be strong when he is clearly scared, and for good reason.</p>
<p>“Do you want me to call Koushi, or will you be alright by yourself today? I will be later again.”</p>
<p>Tooru shrugs. “I think I will be okay.” His eyes stray to the radio. Daichi suppresses a smile.</p>
<p>Their nights in bed have followed the same pattern as the first, both of them starting on opposite sides of the bed and waking up pressed together by morning. Daich has a sneaking suspicion Tooru bridges the space on purpose, but Daichi has also noticed that Tooru has slept more easily because of it, so he doesn’t say anything.</p>
<p>Daichi goes to the courthouse first. When the receptionist sees him, she gives him a strained smile, as if she knows she shouldn’t but she can’t help it. Daichi didn’t really have a reputation before this, but now that he is housing a merrow, people are either awed, disgusted, or somewhere in the middle. No one quite knows how to approach him, as if he is suddenly a different creature among them.</p>
<p>“Is Judge Kido here? Or Sheriff Mizoguchi?”</p>
<p>“Ah, the sheriff is on an early lunch. He should be back in a few minutes, but the judge is in his office, if you would like me to see if he has time to see you?”</p>
<p>Daichi gives her a smile, refusing to acknowledge her strange behavior. “That would be wonderful, thank you.”</p>
<p>She scurries down the hall. Daichi sits in one of three wooden chairs that line the wall next to the door to wait.</p>
<p>Before the receptionist returns, the courthouse doors open and Sheriff Mizoguchi comes through them, whistling cheerfully.</p>
<p>“Hi! How are you doing? You still have your visitor, I take it?”</p>
<p>The other thing Daichi likes about Mizoguchi is that he is straightforward. No tiptoeing around the question, no dropping his voice when talking about something illicit. It is the first time Daichi has actually relaxed around another person who isn’t Koushi in the past few months.</p>
<p>“I am doing well. Business is good.” Mizoguchi nods. “As for my visitor, he’s doing as well as can be expected. He’s quiet and well-behaved.” Daichi figures a little white lie wouldn’t hurt anyone, because Tooru is anything but quiet, and usually his curiosity ends with both of them cleaning up a mess, but Daichi gets the feeling that Mizoguchi probably wouldn’t understand.</p>
<p>He nods. “How is everything going here?” Daichi asks politely, glancing at the hallway where the receptionist is still nowhere to be found.</p>
<p>Mizoguchi heaves a big sigh. “Oh, business as usual, I guess. We’re close to a full moon, which always gets people a little crazy. We are also getting some strange reports of power outages on the north coast and we have had an influx of fox attacks. It’s probably about time to change out the energy sources…”</p>
<p>Daichi can’t believe how lucky he is to have walked into this conversation so effortlessly. “How does that work?” he asks, hoping his voice sounds innocent, bored, as if he is still just making small talk. Koushi and Tooru would be able to sweet talk their way into and out of the conversation with no one the wiser.</p>
<p>Mizoguchi nods. “It is not as hard as it probably seems. The energy plant is normal, but there is a pretty nifty section where you put in, say, scales, since that seems to be the thing we use the most. They react, somehow. I’m no scientist, but even if I was, I think it’s mostly a magic thing.”</p>
<p>He heaves another sigh. “It’s kind of a bummer that we can’t find another way to power this place efficiently. There should be no reason that science doesn’t work here any better than anywhere else, but here we are. Magic is already dying off. It doesn’t help that we kill it faster. Pretty soon, the world is going to be dull and lifeless, and we’ll be the cause.”</p>
<p>Before Daichi can say anything, the secretary is back. “Judge Kido said he’ll see you now. Hello, Sheriff. How was lunch?”</p>
<p>Daich gives a nod to Mizoguchi then makes his way down the hall to Judge Kido’s office. He thinks about his conversation with Mizoguchi. How are there so many people who are opposed to what is happening on this island, and yet no one is stopping this?</p>
<p>He thinks back to Koushi, who always says that fear makes people complacent. He thinks about the questions he is about to ask, about a curse on this island, and wonders if people have questioned how to get away from this barbarism, and if the cost is too high to stop it. </p>
<p>“Come in,” Judge Kido says when Daichi knocks on the door. Daichi enters the office. It is small, but homey. Kido motions Daichi to a chair.  “What can I do for you, Mr. Sawamura?”</p>
<p>Daichi takes a breath. He decides to cut straight to the question. “When did the island start using...mystical forces to power it?”</p>
<p>Kido sits back in his chair. He laces his fingers together and props one ankle on his knee. Daichi refuses to break eye contact as Kido studies him. “Your family has lived on this island for generations, have they not?”</p>
<p>Daichi nods, wondering where the question is leading. Kido nods thoughtfully. “I knew your grandfather, when he was a young boy, did you know that?”</p>
<p>“No,” Daichi says, surprised, although he isn’t sure why. Maybe it’s the fact that people tend to skirt around mentioning the dead, especially to orphans who have had to grow up quickly.</p>
<p>“Yes, quite well, in fact. We were little terrors. I can’t believe they let me hold any official position after the ruckus we caused, but it is amazing what growing up does for you. Anyway, there was a place we visited very often, down by your property, in fact, just past the Old Cells. I am unsure if there is a real name for it, but we just called it the cove. I personally believe it is one of the oldest places on the island that people visited. There is some interesting art that has been preserved there that I think you would like. Why don’t you take your merrow friend, see what he has to say about it?”</p>
<p>“He is not my friend,” Daichi says, trying to control the blush that is creeping up his neck. He remembers the way Tooru’s eyes track his movements as he gets ready for bed, the way Tooru’s hand brushed down his spine when he talked about how he could see Daichi’s tension in the way he moved.</p>
<p>“My apologies,” Kido says, not sounding sorry at all. “After you hear his story, things might start to become clearer. Sorry I cannot be of more help than that.”</p>
<p>Daichi sighs. Truthfully, Kido has been more help than he thought he would be. “Thank you for your help.”</p>
<p>Kido stands up to usher Daichi to the door. Before he exits, Daichi hesitates. “Do you...Are they going to replenish the energy soon?”</p>
<p>Kido nods. “Probably this weekend. Best be prepared for it. It will not be a pleasant feeling for the poor creature. The first time, he was probably too injured elsewhere to notice it. This time...” He lets the sentence hang there for Daichi’s imagination to finish.</p>
<p>Daichi swallows. “Well, thanks again.”</p>
<p>“You should come to church on Sunday. Pastor Watanabe has asked after you.”</p>
<p>“I’ll think about it,” Daichi says, which they both know means he won’t be there. “Goodbye.”</p>
<p>After work, he makes a detour to pick up more seawater, ignoring the stares of curiosity or animosity that follow him.</p>
<p>When he gets home, it is after dinner. Tooru is curled up on the sofa in his favorite spot next to the radio, which is playing a soft jazz track. Apparently, Tooru has the same affinity for jazz that Daichi does, or he still hasn’t gotten the hang of changing the radio station. He cranes his head up to look at the buckets Daichi is carrying.</p>
<p>“Don’t hurt yourself, it is just water. You looked like you were getting low, and I figured it would be nice to have when...well, you know when.”</p>
<p>Tooru’s grip on his knees tightens for just a second before he unfurls himself from his position. “Did you talk to somebody about it, then?”</p>
<p>“Yes. The judge thinks it will be sometime this weekend. Sheriff Mizoguchi mentioned that there is an influx of strange things happening, because the full moon is close.” Daichi frowns when he notices dishes in the sink. “Did you eat?”</p>
<p>Tooru nods. Daichi suppresses a smile when he sees the scales and bones of a fish in the garbage. Apparently, Tooru had finally had enough of cooked fish. “Can we play that card game you taught me yesterday?” Tooru asks.</p>
<p>Daichi nods. Tooru is fascinated with anything that involves problem solving. He completes jigsaw puzzles when Daichi leaves him by himself, and coerces Daichi into playing games with him when Daichi is there to play. Tooru is very smart, almost eerily so. He had started listening to a detective serial in the evenings while they amuse themselves with things around Daichi’s house, and he almost always guesses the culprit right within minutes. “It’s the way they tell the story, Dai-chan,” he says when Daichi asks him how he always knows.</p>
<p>They play until the radio show is over, then make their way to bed. Daichi has finally become used to Tooru in his shared space, and, while he can’t say he doesn’t sometimes wake up uncomfortably aroused, he is getting better at regulating his reactions.</p>
<p>It hasn’t gone unnoticed that Tooru also feels the same way.</p>
<p>He doesn’t know what it is about that night, but as Tooru gets into bed, leaving his usual space between them, Daichi says, “You always end up over here anyway. Why don’t we just start there?”</p>
<p>Tooru’s eyes are wide, as if he has been caught, as if he hasn’t been obvious about initiating their closeness. How can two people fall into the same position every night for weeks on end? Daichi holds out his arm. Tooru needs no more invitation. He curls up next to Daichi, head under his chin, arms tucked between them, tight against his chest.</p>
<p>“Do you sleep like this where you are from?” Daichi asks.</p>
<p>Tooru makes a humming sound of agreement. “We are affectionate people. It was...very hard, sleeping by myself. I am glad Dai-chan said yes when I invited him to sleep with me.”</p>
<p>Tooru bumps his head gently into Daichi’s chin, and Daichi stays still as he feels Tooru’s nose run down the side of his neck a few times. “This body likes you near me. Sometimes too much.”</p>
<p>Tooru laughs, his breath warm and wet on Daichi’s neck. Daichi swallows, knowing exactly what Tooru means. He presses his lips to the top of Tooru’s head, then curls his arm around Tooru’s waist. He feels Tooru smile against his skin. “Goodnight, Dai-chan,” Tooru murmurs. </p>
<p>Daichi runs his thumb in small circles against Tooru’s shirt. “Goodnight, Tooru.”</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>“Have you thought about finding his skin?”</p>
<p>Daichi’s head jerks up. He and Koushi had met for a late dinner after Daichi’s volunteer shift at the butcher’s. Tooru has had to stay by himself the whole week, but so far, there has been nothing amiss. Daichi feels bad, but Tooru insists that it is okay, just tells Daichi to bring him back a present, which Daichi has every night.</p>
<p>He scans their surroundings quickly, but no one is paying attention to them in the loud pub. Still. “Koushi.”</p>
<p>“Do you want to discuss it around Hina or Tooru instead?” Daichi doesn’t answer, knowing Koushi is right, so he continues. “Obviously, you can’t, you’ll have to stay with Tooru to make sure he is okay. But I can see if I can get my way into the meeting…”</p>
<p>“Koushi, no…”</p>
<p>Koushi swallows hard. “Okay, maybe I won’t attend, but I can be there to see where they go afterward.”</p>
<p>Daichi studies Koushi as he turns back to his food. “What changed your mind?”</p>
<p>Koushi pauses. “Changed my mind?” he asks, too innocently.</p>
<p>Luckily, Daichi has had a lot of practice talking to someone who plays innocent when they’re not. “Yes. You didn’t say it, but I know you were not happy when I interfered in this. I’m fairly sure you never thought about helping the other merrow escape either.”</p>
<p>Koushi looks away. “Daichi, I…” he starts, but he doesn’t finish. Instead, he says, “Look, we don’t have to do anything about it. It’s just good to have a plan in place if we want it, right?”</p>
<p>Daichi sighs. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt. But don’t put your safety at risk. If we need to, we can figure out another way. I am sure Tooru can sense it.”</p>
<p>“Maybe he can get to the general area, but it is not as if you feel any great change if you’re close to it. I assume.”</p>
<p>Koushi smiles so big his eyes close. Daichi looks at him suspiciously for a few seconds, but he does not know what he wants to ask, so he just turns back to his food. Koushi has been acting strange lately, as if he is slowly drifting away into open sea. Soon, Daichi worries he may just disappear completely. It scares him.</p>
<p>“I just...he’s a friend now, right? It might not even work. But let me do this, Daichi.”</p>
<p>Daichi studies Koushi who looks back at him, determined. He sighs. He has seen this look before, and he has never successfully talked Koushi down from anything he decides to do while wearing it. “Just be careful, please.”</p>
<p>Koushi sags back against his chair, the tension of his determination giving way to relief. “I will. I always am.”</p>
<p>Daichi nods. He wonders if Koushi feels the same urgency pressing down on him as Daichi does, making him restless. He doesn’t know if it is something they are going to do, or if nature will beat them to it, but something is about to shift.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>That night, Koushi doesn’t go to the ocean. Instead, he opens his closet and pries the loose floorboard up. There is a wooden chest there with a silver lock wrapped in holly. He hisses as he unwraps it, then takes the iron key he has hidden in another loose floorboard under the bed. He turns the key in the lock, but then he sits there, hand on the top of the chest, forcing his breath to stay deep, even, so he does not start panicking and do something rash.</p>
<p>He shouldn’t have gotten involved. He knows how dangerous this is, for himself, for his family. For the island. But he is not blind. He has noticed the way Daichi has decided to...live again. When Daichi’s parents died five years ago, Koushi had been afraid he would never be the same. Seeing Daichi as a shell of himself was one of the hardest things Koushi had witnessed. Daichi had always been his rock, his source of dependence when his mother left, when taking care of his family was more than he could bear. To see Daichi shut off so completely had scared him. Daichi had tried to get back to normal, but Koushi had resigned himself to the fact that Daichi would continue to live a complacent, secluded life. </p>
<p>He knows Daichi is enamored with Tooru, not just his mystical heritage. He hides it well, but Koushi has spent so long studying Daichi that Daichi’s emotions are second-nature to him. Koushi has not missed the way Daichi allows Tooru to draw close to him, the way Daichi’s attention turns to any talk of the merrow, the way he seems to know exactly where Tooru is in a room, regardless of how preoccupied he was. Koushi does not want to see Daichi so dark again.</p>
<p>Koushi takes a deep breath, holds it, releases it, then opens the chest.</p>
<p>The silver, shimmery fabric sits unassuming in the bottom of the chest. Koushi’s breath catches. He caresses it, his skin prickling. He wonders if he will ever use this part of himself. He remembers Tooru’s words, <i>but you want to</i>.</p>
<p>He is just glad Hina didn’t inherit this part of their mother, just a love of swimming in the ocean. No hidden skin, no longing to jump off the dock and never return to the horrible place. He closes his eyes, takes another shaky breath, and pulls his hand away from his merrow skin. He isn’t sure what had drawn him here in the first place.</p>
<p>He closes the lid shakily. When he goes to place the chest back into the small space under the floorboard, he frowns.</p>
<p>A sheet of folded paper sits there, dirty and yellowed with age. He doesn’t remember it being there before.</p>
<p>He picks it up, unfolds it, and is met with his mother’s handwriting. He swallows hard, then refolds it without reading it. He will read it tomorrow, when he is not the ball of emotions he is right then. He puts everything away, checks to make sure that nothing will be found, then curls up in bed. He sleeps well for the first time in months.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Tidal</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It happens on Sunday night. Daichi is teaching Tooru how to play a dice game when, suddenly, Tooru’s hand spasms, and he drops his handful of dice onto the table.</p>
<p>“Are you alright?” Daichi asks slowly, watching Tooru’s eyebrows furrow, his eyes blink slowly. His body tenses, and a low, throaty hiss escapes his throat, primal and raw.</p>
<p>Daichi stands quickly. He isn’t sure what he can do, but he will make Tooru as comfortable as possible until this passes. “Come on, let's get you to the bed.”</p>
<p>Tooru’s eyes are distant when they meet Daichi’s. Daichi takes Tooru’s arm, stands him up, and loops the arm over his neck. Tooru seems fine, but he doesn’t remove his arm from Daichi’s neck.</p>
<p>As they reach the bedroom, Tooru’s grip tightens, and he lets out another noise, this one higher. Daichi could tell immediately it was more painful.</p>
<p>“Here, lie down,” Daichi instructs, helping Tooru get comfortable on the bed. He takes Tooru’s closest wrist, unclasps the iron band and tosses it aside. He does the same with the other, and the change is almost instantaneous. It is not a big change, but just enough to remind Daichi that Tooru isn’t really human. It’s like his figure becomes sharper, bones more prominent, skin paler, more translucent.</p>
<p>Another wave of pain must crest, because Tooru spasms, turning to his side. Without thinking, Daichi laces his hand into Tooru’s, his wide, rough palm drastically different from Tooru’s thin, boney fingers. Tooru whimpers, and a few chirrups escape his lips. Daichi takes his free hand and moves Tooru’s hair out of his face. He is surprised when his fingers hit rough patches on Tooru’s skin and, on further inspection, he realizes they are scales. His ears have also changed, sharply pointed and pressed close to his head. </p>
<p>“Dai-chan,” he murmurs, grasping onto Daichi’s shirt. “It hurts, Dai-chan.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” Daichi says helplessly. He doesn’t know what to do, what could possibly make this better. He racks his brain, trying to find anything that might make Tooru more comfortable.</p>
<p>Tooru keens again, and pulls Daichi closer to him. Daichi is practically straddling him at this point, and he gulps. “Tooru, I…”</p>
<p>Tooru bites his lip, eyes pleading for...something, but Daichi doesn’t know what it is. When Tooru tugs at his shirt again, Daichi slowly lowers himself so he is lying, chest to chest, with Tooru. Tooru nods, wraps his arms around Daichi’s neck, as if they were lovers. Tooru hisses and buries his head into the crook of Daichi’s neck. Daichi feels teeth and wonders if this is how he dies, but Tooru doesn’t bite. Instead, he seems to be muffling whatever sound he is making against Daichi’s skin.</p>
<p>“I’ve got you,” Daichi whispers, putting his arms around Tooru’s body, bracing his hands on Tooru’s back. Tooru nods, and this time Daichi can feel the wave of pain wash over Tooru, his muscles contracting, arms tightening around Daichi’s neck.</p>
<p>Daichi does not know how long they lie there, in the same position, riding out the unseen pain, but at some point Daichi remembers how Tooru loves listening to the radio, how he always imitates Daichi’s humming or whistling. Daichi swallows, presses his lips to Tooru’s ear, and sings.</p>
<p>His voice isn’t grand. He won’t be asked to sing a solo in the church choir or perform at a fancy dinner party, but Koushi has always said his voice has a nice tone, so he figures it won’t hurt to try.</p>
<p>He starts with a lullaby, a song he had learned before he could speak, one his father sang to him almost every night for five years. Daichi doesn’t know how he can tell, but he senses Tooru’s attention shift away from his pain to Daichi’s voice. After the lullaby, Daichi sings another old ballad, one that has been sung on the island for centuries. Tooru’s grip slackens, just slightly, and he pulls his face out of Daichi’s neck. They lock eyes for just a moment, Tooru’s wild and shining with unshed tears. Daichi runs a hand through his hair, gently presses his head back where it had been resting before.</p>
<p>When it is finally over, the sun has long disappeared. Tooru is strung out against Daichi, head still hidden in his neck. Daichi gently presses a hand against his head, and he shifts slightly. “Are you okay?” Daichi asks.</p>
<p>Tooru nods. The lack of a snide comment is what unnerves Daichi the most. He strokes Tooru’s hair again. It is dripping with sweat. “Let’s get you cleaned up. I’ll be back,” Daichi whispers. Tooru closes his eyes as Daichi gets out of the bed. He is shaking as he rummages through the clothes he and Koushi had picked out for Tooru to find the comfiest set, then he goes to retrieve the seawater, a washrag, and a towel.</p>
<p>Tooru is in the same position that Daichi had left him in. When Daichi presses a hand to Tooru’s cheek, his eyes flutter open, hazy and soft, completely different from any expression Daichi has ever seen on him before.</p>
<p>“I think this will make you feel better,” Daichi says, sitting on the edge of the bed and motioning Tooru to sit up. Tooru does, slowly.</p>
<p>“Dai-chan, you’re bleeding,” Tooru murmurs.</p>
<p>Surprised, Daichi looks down. Tooru shakes his head. “You can’t...Right here.”</p>
<p>Tooru’s hand caresses Daichi’s neck. “I think I bit you. I apologize.”</p>
<p>Daichi gives a soft laugh. “I’m sure it’ll heal. Now, let’s get you feeling better.”</p>
<p>Daichi takes the washrag and immerses it in the seawater. He starts with Tooru’s hands, making sure to be as gentle as possible as he bathes him. Tooru sheds himself of his clothes, and Daichi is left to admire the graceful figure he cuts. Without the iron bands, Tooru’s body is ethereal. Daichi takes a deep breath. This isn’t the time to think of Tooru...like that, although it is hard when he is completely bared for Daichi to see, after being pressed together so intimately for the past few hours.</p>
<p>Daichi forces himself to focus solely on the task at hand. When he moves the washrag down Tooru’s sides, he finds raised skin that he assumes are fins or gills. He would not have been surprised to see Tooru had actually taken his merrow form, but of course, his legs are still present where his tail should be. “Where I am from,” Tooru whispers, startling Daichi out of his thoughts, “physical closeness is a language. The way you touch and hold someone, and the way they let you touch them, tells you how they are feeling, how you are feeling in return, if you are experiencing happiness or sadness, or if you want them to help you in any way.”</p>
<p>Daichi continues his ministrations. He had figured, with Tooru’s talk of languages and the way he touches Daichi in different ways, that there must be some unspoken meaning to the touches. He wishes he could reciprocate. He wants Tooru to know he is here, that he will be here, that all of this is unfair and he doesn’t deserve what is happening. “Dai-chan gives really good hugs,” Tooru continues once Daichi is done cleaning him and he has dressed in clean clothes. He considers leaving, but Tooru has snuggled up to him, effectively trapping him where he is. Daichi sighs and shifts into a more comfortable position. Tooru’s smile tells Daichi he has won this round. “Dai-chan also has a really pretty voice.”</p>
<p>Tooru’s voice is drowsy when he says it. He nuzzles his head into Daichi’s chest, and Daichi wonders if Tooru can sense the effect he is having on Daichi’s body. “You like music,” Daichi whispers. Tooru hums and nods his head.</p>
<p>“That is how your people caught me, you know. I heard music and I was curious. Iwa-chan always told me if I wasn’t careful, the humans would lure me to their shores and kill me. I guess he was right.”</p>
<p>Daichi pulls Tooru closer to him. Just thinking about Tooru dying, about the last, long hours Daichi had spent trying to offer him comfort, makes him irrationally angry, angry enough to want to raze the whole island to the ground. </p>
<p>“You didn’t put the iron cuffs back on,” Tooru says, his voice drowsy.</p>
<p>“Do I need to?” Daichi asks, meeting Tooru’s eyes when he pulls away to look at him.</p>
<p>“I guess not,” he whispers back.</p>
<p>Daichi knows they shouldn’t do this, that to attach himself to this creature will only lead to heartache, through either death or the sea, but it does not make him pull away when Tooru bends his head down and ghosts his lips over Daich’s. Instead, Daichi threads his fingers through Tooru’s hair, caressing his neck as Tooru continues to explore Daichi’s face. He bumps their noses together, gently, then runs his lips up Daichi’s cheekbone to nip at his ear, then follows his jawline with his nose. Daichi is burning with the closeness.</p>
<p>“This is a way to show affection,” Tooru whispers, his voice playful. Daichi wants to scoff, wants to show Tooru just how affected he is, but he is frozen in place as Tooru continues to speak a language Daichi doesn’t understand, but definitely craves. “But, it is more like an affectionate thank you, not an invitation for mating. Because you helped me through something very hard, and now I want to reciprocate by showing you how grateful I am for it.”</p>
<p>Daichi’s breath is ragged as Tooru pulls away. “You can participate as well. I will not take offence if you do something wrong. You are human, after all.”</p>
<p>Tooru lies back on the bed and tilts his head up, just slightly. It is almost the same position Tooru had shown him in the Old Cells, when Daichi had overpowered him. A position of submission. Daichi can tell the gesture takes a lot of effort. “This...This means that I trust you.”</p>
<p>Daichi reaches out, his hand shaky, and places it on Tooru’s neck. Tooru sighs as Daichi runs his thumb up Tooru’s Adam’s apple. He leans down and presses his lips to it, explores the long, white column of Tooru’s neck that always captivates him. “This body,” Tooru whispers with a breathy laugh when Daichi ghosts his fingers along Tooru’s side, “is very sensitive.”</p>
<p>Daichi laughs against Tooru’s collarbone, then pulls away. “Do you ever stop talking?”</p>
<p>That seems to break the tension between them. Tooru curls up next to Daichi but doesn’t initiate any other contact. They lay in silence for a while, listening to each other breathing. Finally, Daichi opens his eyes and turns to Tooru, unsurprised to see Tooru already looking at him. “What,” Daichi says, then swallows. “What did it feel like?”</p>
<p>Tooru bites his lip. His hand traces slow patterns on Daichi’s waist. “It was...very strange. Painful, but in a faraway way. It hurt here,” Tooru places his hand just above Daichi’s knee, “mostly.”</p>
<p>Daichi nods. “I’m sorry…”</p>
<p>“You apologize for a lot of things you don’t do.” If Tooru wasn’t lying down, Daichi could imagine him cocking his head to the side, the way he does when he is curious about something. “So does Koushi-kun. Maybe it is a human world thing?”</p>
<p>Daichi opens his mouth to argue, then pauses. He remembers all the times he has apologized, all the times Koushi apologizes for the harmlessly quirky things that he does. “I think,” Daichi says slowly, “it is the way we empathize. Kind of a poor way, now that you mentioned it, but it is the easiest.”</p>
<p>Tooru hums, the sound he makes when he understands something, and his eyes droop shut. Daichi watches his face for a few minutes before his own eyes become heavy, and he surrenders to sleep himself.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>The next morning Daichi wakes up to cool fingers on his cheek. When he opens his eyes, he sees Tooru’s curious face hovering over his. “Can I go with you to get more water today, Dai-chan? It has been a long time since I’ve been outside. You can put the iron cuffs on.”</p>
<p>Daichi groans and sits up. Daichi has always been a morning person, but Tooru always seems to wake up from sleep alert and refreshed. He doesn’t know if it is a merrow thing or a Tooru thing.</p>
<p>Tooru pats Daichi’s stomach before standing up, still nude. Daichi looks away quickly, willing his body to cooperate with him for once. “I was actually thinking we could go out. The judge told me about a place down on the coast that he thought we might be interested in.”</p>
<p>He watches Tooru wrestle with his clothes, suppressing a smile. When Tooru is done he huffs, then uses the small mirror in the bathroom to fix his hair. Daichi is surprised at how human Tooru is at some times, and how alien he is at others. When Tooru has fixed his hair to his content (Daichi is a little jealous of the way his hair seems to fall so naturally perfect), he comes over to Daichi with his wrists outstretched. Daichi takes a deep breath, then grabs the iron bands that are sitting on the bedside table.</p>
<p>Daichi takes Tooru’s right wrist, turns it, and, after a shrug from Tooru, places a kiss on Tooru’s pulse point. He runs his thumb over the delicate skin, then sighs as he snaps the band in place. He feels Tooru’s muscles tense as the band instantly affects his skin. “Don’t apologize, Dai-chan,” Tooru scolds when Daichi opens his mouth to do just that. Daichi nods, and repeats the same thing with Tooru’s left. Tooru flexes his fingers and lets out a soft coo of frustration. Daichi wonders if he realizes he is doing it, or if it is just a habit he hasn’t shaken yet.</p>
<p>He now looks the way Daichi has gotten used to, not the strange, breathtaking creature of last night. It is almost as if it had never happened.</p>
<p>“We can get something for breakfast on our way, if you would like? You seem to like sweet things, and the bakery is on the way,” Daichi finally says.</p>
<p>Tooru looks hesitant, and doesn’t answer until Daichi has gotten fully dressed. Daichi finds it odd. Usually Tooru is excited at the fact that he gets to experience something new. “Do you think they will give me food?”</p>
<p>Daichi nods. “The baker is really nice, and besides that, they are providing a service that I am paying for.”</p>
<p>Tooru cocks his head to the side, then nods. “Shall we go, then?”</p>
<p>Daichi nods back. He opens the door, and Tooru takes a deep breath before stepping out. He shields his eyes, then sneezes twice. He glances at Daichi in surprise, and Daichi has to cover his mouth to hide a laugh. “You were right. Your human body is pretty sensitive.”</p>
<p>“Let’s go,” Tooru sulks, as if he had any control over his light sensitivity. Daichi leads the way into town, Tooru hovering just behind his shoulder. There are not a lot of people in town, as it is early enough to miss the lunch rush but late enough to miss the fishermen and farmers who come in for their early breakfasts. The people they do see stare, or look away quickly when they notice Daichi’s attention turned to them. Daichi feels Tooru pull himself closer, his body tense, probably from fear, which makes Daichi’s anger start simmering.</p>
<p>Daichi is relieved when they reach the bakery and it is empty except for Asahi. Asahi is a gentle giant, and one of Daichi’s closer friends. He looks up and smiles at Daichi, then glances over his shoulder at where Tooru is hovering, and his smile falters.</p>
<p>“This is Tooru,” Daichi says firmly. “Tooru, this is Asahi. He makes the best sweet bread.”</p>
<p>“Sweet bread?” Tooru asks, walking up to the glass cases filled with pastries of all kinds. He looks like a child as he presses his hands against the glass, staring with wide-eyed wonder at all the different options. “There are so many.”</p>
<p>Asahi gives Daichi a wide-eyed look, except this one is far more confused than Tooru’s. “The judge told us to take a walk down to a cove, but I thought we would get breakfast first. He’s never been to a bakery before.”</p>
<p>“I have heard of them,” Tooru says, “but we don’t really have sweets underwater. Oh, can we get this one?”</p>
<p>Tooru points to a cinnamon roll, complete with a drizzled icing that Koushi has been trying to sweet-talk Asahi into giving him the recipe for for years, to no effect. Daichi nods. Asahi gets one out of the case. Daichi suppresses a smile when he notices it is the biggest. Asahi hesitates before passing it over the counter. Tooru takes it carefully, as if it is a living thing. He looks at Daichi with wonder in his eyes, and Daichi’s heart stutters at the huge, excited smile on his face. For just a second Daichi thinks about what could have happened if Tooru were here of his own free will, able to explore his curiosity freely.</p>
<p>The sadness threatens to swallow him, so he turns back to Asahi.</p>
<p>“I’ll just take a lemon cake,” he says. Asahi nods.</p>
<p>“Thanks!” Tooru says when Dachi is paying. “This is so delicious! You made this?”</p>
<p>“Uh, yeah,” Asahi says, rubbing the back of his neck. “You’re welcome.”</p>
<p>“It’s really good. Better than anything Dai-chan has made,” Tooru glances over at Daichi with a smirk. “Maybe you can come eat dinner with us one night?”</p>
<p>Daichi chokes on the bite of cake he had just taken. After he gathers his composure, he says, “Are you inviting people over to my house?”</p>
<p>“Yes, because there is a higher chance that you will make better food,” Tooru says with his wide-eyed, innocent look that Daichi knows is completely false.</p>
<p>“I just make food that I think you will enjoy!” Daichi scoffs. “If you want a good home-cooked meal, Koushi is your man.”</p>
<p>“I miss Koushi-kun,” Tooru says. “Maybe we can all have dinner at Dai-chan’s house!”</p>
<p>“Okay!” Daichi says, steering Tooru toward the door. “Thanks, Asahi! I will let you know about dinner!” Asahi smiles with a wave.</p>
<p>“He was very friendly,” Tooru says. “Are your people usually like that?”</p>
<p>Daichi laughs. “Asahi is fairly timid, but yes. I think the islanders are generally nice folk. It is when they get silly ideas and fear in their heads that they get mean.”</p>
<p>The wind is brisk as they leave the shelter of the buildings in town. Tooru turns his face up, inhaling deeply. His hair blows messily in his face, but he does nothing to fix it. His cheeks and the tip of his nose are a light red from the chill. When Tooru’s eyes meet Daichi’s, Daichi is struck with the realization that Tooru looks more at home here on the island than anyone else. “The sea,” he says, breathless. “Let’s go!”</p>
<p>Daichi leads Tooru the long way down to the cove. When Tooru realizes they are backtracking, he opens his mouth, probably to ask a question, but when he sees that the only other road down to the cove leads directly to the Old Cells, he shuts his mouth. Daichi feels Tooru’s long fingers creep around his wrist, and he offers his hand for Tooru to take. He doesn’t turn around, allowing Tooru the ability to experience his emotions without an audience.</p>
<p>The cliffs here are impenetrable, and it takes Daichi a solid minute to find the path that Judge Kido had mentioned to him. The rocks are overgrown with grass and moss; this trail has clearly not been used in years. Daichi swallows, then begins his descent, Tooru a ghost behind him.</p>
<p>The ocean is a beautiful, glaring brightness on their right as they pick their careful way down the trail. It echoes loudly around the slight bend in the cliff, making Daichi feel like he is in the middle of its waves. Toward the bottom of the cliff, the breeze is wet, making the climb that much more treacherous. Daichi looks back at Tooru, worried, but he seems fine, his fingers trailing on the rock next to them, his expression determined.</p>
<p>They have dropped down right at the entrance of a small cove. The rock ceiling towers over them. Daichi takes Tooru’s hand, and Tooru nods at him. They enter the cove together.</p>
<p>They both take in the small area they have found themselves in. Tooru stares around the cove in awe. “Dai-chan. This,” he swallows. Daichi has not seen emotion like this on Tooru’s face before, a mix of awe and vulnerability. “This place looks like my home.”</p>
<p>Daichi’s eyes widen. Tooru is looking up at the natural ceiling that has been carved out of the cliff, then walks carefully across the rocky beach until he is facing the wall. It doesn’t escape Daichi’s notice that Tooru has avoided touching the ocean. He watches as Tooru reaches his fingers out, hesitant, before pressing his palm to the wet, glistening rock. The difference between Tooru’s pale skin and the dark wall is striking. “Dai-chan! Look, there are pictures here!”</p>
<p>Daichi makes his way toward Tooru, careful not to disturb too many rocks. This place seems sacred, untouched by modernity. “I cannot believe that this lasted for so long,” Tooru breathes. “I can feel...my people. I can feel...Koushi’s family line.”</p>
<p>When Tooru says it, the last piece of an almost complete puzzle snaps into place. Of course Koushi is merrow-born. He has too much knowledge of the mystic, is too in tune with the ocean, to be fully human. “I can also feel your family here, Dai-chan. Were your ancestors sailors?”</p>
<p>Daichi shakes his head mutely. “The...legend, in my family,” he says, voicing the story he has not told anyone, had not thought about since his parents died. “The legend is that we are descended from the first people on the island. There must be a lot of those rumors circulated, we aren’t the only old family on the island, but.”</p>
<p>Daichi points to the first carving in the rock, where a woman and a merman stand side by side. “Legend has it that the first explorer here was rescued by the merfolk, that she fell in love with her rescuer. The merman told her that this place would be a blessed land, to anyone who needed refuge. So she left, and brought her people back. My family, they were part of those people.” Daichi points to the next picture, of settlers disembarking from their ship. And then, to the next picture of a woman with a swollen belly. “But the woman, she was pregnant. The first official ruler of this small plot of land was the first merrow, able to shed their skin at will.”</p>
<p>The final picture is of a mermaid who takes her is in the process of either wrapping or unwrapping a skin of scales from her lower body. Tooru stares, fascinated, at the woman who would have been his forebarrer, generations and generations ago, before time was measured and humans had magic running through their veins. “Almost every old family who still resides here can trace their lineage back to this group of settlers. It is like the island knows the blood of her people and calls to them. I have always felt that call, more than most, it seems, but I don’t know why. Koushi’s mother used to say that those who hear the call have a responsibility to answer it. But I don’t even know what it is.”</p>
<p>After Daichi’s story, the two of them stand staring at the pictures, listening to the pounding of the waves against the cliff face, the gulls calling to each other in the air. </p>
<p>“A sacrifice must be made to keep the power at bay,” Tooru repeats what he had said the first night he had stayed with Daichi. “It is an old saying. If you do not want to be consumed by magic, there must be a sacrifice. A balance. For example, merrows should shed their skin to live as a human sometimes, or they will become mindless as fish. And humans offer trinkets and baubles in return for our protections. We use them to create the magic.</p>
<p>“But it is a double edged sword. We, ourselves, are the magic, but we cannot survive without the humans. In many parts of the world, humans have turned away from us. They do not have the fancy they once did for the mystical, the unexplainable. Once the humans learned of electric lights, and automobiles, our services were not needed nearly as much as before. The dark was not scary to them anymore. They had no use for our lights in impenetrable darkness or our protections on long journeys. And the iron. The iron keeps us, and magic, away.”</p>
<p>Tooru shivers. “But we are still there, in small pockets. We have always been protectors, especially of islands of all nationalities. This island especially, because of our ties to the Mother Merrow.”</p>
<p>Tooru looks again at the figure of the merrow shedding or embracing her skin. “And there was still enough magic here, for it to be a safe haven, until a few generations ago, when men decided that they did not need to use themselves as the sacrifice for the island, but instead, fed the island magic from the source. Puca and cait sith, until they were endangered, and sometimes other sea creatures. It was not until recently that there were rumors of merfolk being taken to power a human island. Who would be so blasphemous, to kill the merfolk who protect islands from other creatures, who gave them life here, who joined in creating our race? We had underestimated the shortness of human memory. They do not remember things the same way magical creatures do, because they are not magical. Sometimes, we are just as forgetful as humans.”</p>
<p>Daichi is captivated by Tooru’s storytelling. His cadence is reminiscent of the sea. “Then, the island changed. It was...powerful, unpredictable. Scary. I remember the change. I used to come to this place a lot. Not...this place, exactly. There is a small strip of land over by your docks, where I would sneak away to watch the humans. I...I have always been very fascinated with this part of my heritage. It happens, every once in a while, a child wanting to be more human than merfolk. Before, the parents would allow children to explore, because humans were easier to get along with. But now, there is a fear to everything humans touch, and we have started to suppress our natures.</p>
<p>“But I was a determined tadpole, so I swam over here to watch and observe and fall in love with humans. We used to have humans who lived with us, did you know that? Humans, especially from this island, who give up their humanity to live with us in the sea, but the last one died when I was very small.”</p>
<p>Daichi stands very, very still. He stares hard at the wall, determined not to look at Tooru, who he is sure is looking at him with that wide-eyed, curious expression. After a pause that extends just slightly too long, Tooru says, “I was caught. The fisherman was startled, and I was terrified. I begged him not to kill me, but I’m sure I wasn’t very convincing, as I didn’t know much Human at the time.” Daichi doesn’t correct him on their language. “And then he sang to me.”</p>
<p>That is when Daichi starts to understand the strange way Tooru always stares at the picture of his father on his wall, the way he was instantly soothed by the lullaby Daichi sang, the way Tooru seemed so sad when Daichi told him about his parents. “It was...I never knew humans could make those sounds. It’s almost like my language, but in Human speech and used as pleasure, not for communicating. It was so pretty. I stopped crying immediately. He hushed me, gave me a piece of bread, and told me not to come back, because the island was a cruel place.”</p>
<p>Daichi can imagine his father holding a small merrow child in his arms, singing the lullaby he had sung to Tooru just last night. He presses his lips together, trying to contain all of his emotions. “I should have listened to him, or to Iwa-chan, or to anyone, but I couldn’t resist. I love…” Tooru takes a deep, uneven breath. “I love being a human, and I love being a merrow. I want to be both. I want to live in a place where I can embrace both parts of myself equally.”</p>
<p>Daichi places his hand on Tooru’s cheek. Tooru looks at him, eyes brimming with tears. He has never seen Tooru cry, has never seen Tooru this vulnerable, for as much as he has divulged about his personal life.Even last night, Tooru had been relatively quiet as he suffered. Daichi thinks this vulnerability is what finally tips him over the edge. He pulls Tooru’s head down, lifts his own, and kisses him as he has been wanting to for weeks.</p>
<p>When they pull away, Tooru smiles softly. He ducks his head back down, kissing Daichi quickly once, twice, before opening his mouth to allow Daichi full access.</p>
<p>Daichi doesn’t know how long they stand there, but eventually he makes himself pull away. Tooru’s cheeks are flushed, his hair mussed by their descent and the wind. Daichi has never seen a prettier person in his life.</p>
<p>“It is very sad that this island cannot be that safe haven for you,” he finally says, remembering that they had been discussing an important matter “At least, not yet. Do you know anything about the sacrifices? Why there were humans who have chosen to live with your people?”</p>
<p>Tooru shakes his head no. Daichi’s brain is racing, trying to connect all of these loose threads. Finally he says, “We know one merrow who had chosen to be human, at least long enough to birth two children before leaving the island. I guess we’re going to get dinner from Koushi earlier than we thought.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Trough</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>By the time Tooru and Daichi arrive at the top of the cliff, the sun has long reached its peak and the work day is almost over. By the time they get to the Sugawara house, Daichi’s stomach is growling, and he is sweating and exhausted from climbing.</p>
<p>Tooru is not faring any better. He is not nearly as used to his human legs as Daichi, and he begins to lag as soon as they get into town. Daichi stops by the bakery to get water from Asahi, which Tooru takes gratefully before they continue on. There are more people out and about, and Daichi is uneasy at the attention they are garnering. He tries to keep to side streets as much as possible.</p>
<p>Koushi is the one who answers the door when Daichi knocks. Tooru has leaned up against Daichi, and Daichi resists the urge to shoulder him away because he is hot and does not want another body pressed against him, but he knows Tooru needs the support more than Daichi needs the space. Koushi’s eyes widen in surprise. “Come in,” he says, his voice hushed as if they had snuck out of the house, and motions them inside. “What are you doing out?”</p>
<p>“We went to the bakery today!” Tooru says, his voice exhausted, but he tries to smile. Koushi frowns and leads him to the sofa, where Tooru sits heavily. Daichi presses his lips together when he notices Tooru rubbing at a spot above his knee, where he had mentioned it had hurt the night before, and sits next to him. Koushi takes his place in a chair opposite them. “We met Asahi, who was very nice. He gave me the biggest cinnamon roll in the case, and it tasted delicious!”</p>
<p>Ah, so Asahi’s small act of kindness hadn’t gone unnoticed by Tooru.</p>
<p>“But, why were you out in the first place?” Koushi asks, looking at Daichi.</p>
<p>“Last night was...rough,” he says, to which Tooru ducks his head. “Judge Kido suggested that we take a walk down to a cove behind the Old Cells. We got breakfast before we started our trek.”</p>
<p>Koushi nods. His eyes flit from Daichi to Tooru, as if he knows he has become an integral part of the story. Finally, Daichi can’t hold it back anymore. “Why didn’t you tell me?”</p>
<p>Koushi freezes, eyes locked on Daichi’s. “Tell you? Tell you what?”</p>
<p>“Don’t, Koushi, please. I already know. Your mother was a merrow, wasn’t she? And don’t get mad at Tooru, it’s actually a good thing that he told me. We need to tell you something as well.”</p>
<p>Daichi fills Koushi in on everything that the two of them had put together on the beach. Koushi does not interrupt. The only thing he does is inhale slightly when Tooru mentions that Koushi’s mother had been the first to live on the island in years.</p>
<p>“I wish I could help,” Koushi says when they finish. “But I’m just as clueless as you. Don’t you think that I’ve wondered why she decided to live here on this godforsaken piece of land that hates her kind? Because it wasn’t undying love, clearly. Wouldn’t it have been nice, if she had divulged something more to me than <i>you, Koushi, have a responsibility. You are the one who inherited the merrow bloodline, and everything will depend on how you choose to respond.</i> I don’t know. I don’t…”</p>
<p>Koushi’s voice breaks. He takes a deep breath. Tooru glances over at Daichi, then stands and approaches Koushi. Koushi watches warily but does nothing to stop Tooru from taking his hands. Tooru kneels. “It must be very difficult taking care of your family, having very little answers. You must miss your mother very much.”</p>
<p>It never fails to surprise Daichi how much Tooru can glean from a situation, how he can pick just the right words to make someone feel better. His heart feels too big for his chest when he sees Koushi give a small, crooked smile. Tooru presses their joined hands to his forehead before dropping them. Koushi has seemed to gather himself enough to continue their conversation a little more rashly. “Hina will be home in ten minutes with my father. We should try and figure something out before then. Will you eat dinner with us?”</p>
<p>Daichi nods. Tooru rejoins Daichi on the couch. He looks...distracted. His gaze wanders around the room, taking in the Sugawara’s house. Daichi realizes, for as much as they have seen Koushi, Tooru has never seen his house. Tooru has never been anywhere but the courthouse, the Old Cells, and Daichi’s house before that day.</p>
<p>Daichi allows him to look for a few seconds longer, then clears his throat to draw attention back. “We need to figure something out. You said your mother told you about responsibility?”</p>
<p>Koushi nods. “Not very often. But the night before she left, she pulled me aside. I thought it was just a lecture, because I was getting old enough to get into trouble, so I don’t remember as much as I probably should. I didn’t write down what I remembered of that last day until a few weeks later, so I don’t have the exact wording. She told me that I have a responsibility because of my merrow heritage. But I just rolled my eyes, because she liked to dramatize everything. I thought she was exaggerating. No one knew of my bloodline--she made sure I knew to keep it under wraps at all times. She told me something about staying your friend, but I don’t know, I wasn’t really paying attention until she said, <i>You can save lives! I’ll show you how.</i> But the next day she had disappeared.”</p>
<p>Koushi shrugs. “I told you. I can’t help. Something happened, but I can’t say what it was. She didn’t tell me how to fix anything. It’s all I can do to keep my family together.”</p>
<p>Tooru hums, his voice thoughtful. “I wonder where she went? Why she left so fast?”</p>
<p>“She left right after they caught the last merrow, right?” Daichi asks, then swallows. “After...After the previous one was killed and my parents died.”</p>
<p>Tooru looks over at Daichi, surprised. “Did your people kill a merrow here?” Daichi and Koushi don’t have time to answer before Tooru has gleaned everything from their expressions. “Ah. A sacrifice was made.”</p>
<p>Daichi sits very still. He thinks back, through his fuzzy, dreamy memories of that time his parents were lost to the sea. The island had experienced a lot of sudden, powerful weather, upheavals of migratory patterns, and strange surges of magic that left people confused, or comatose, or worse.</p>
<p>“It all stopped,” Koushi breathes, eyes locking with Daichi’s.</p>
<p><i>Sacrifices run in your family, Daichi, love, and you’d best remember your fate.</i> Had Koushi’s mother told him that outside of his dream at some point? </p>
<p>“But, once again, we don’t know <i>how</i> to fix it,” Tooru says, his voice frustrated. “And Dai-chan is not going to die just for nobility’s sake! I refuse. We will fix whatever broke years ago, or I will make sure the island is destroyed.”</p>
<p>Footsteps echo down the path outside and Hina’s high voice pierces the room, too far away to make out actual words. They are not going to solve the riddle tonight. “You’re right,” Koushi says, voice low, to Tooru. “No one is going to die needlessly this time.”</p>
<p>He stops talking as Hina bursts into the room. “Koushi! I made you something at school...Oh! Hi Daichi! You didn’t say you were coming today!”</p>
<p>Daichi laughs as Hina jumps into his arms. “And you brought a friend! Who are you?”</p>
<p>To Tooru’s credit, he does not show surprise, just gives Hina a charming smile. “My name is Tooru. Who are you?”</p>
<p>“Hina Sugawara,” she says proudly. “And I have the biggest collection of bottle caps on the island. Would you like to see them?”</p>
<p>Daichi and Koushi exchange a look, but before either of them can step in, Tooru says, his voice still pleasant, “Of course! Lead the way!” Hina grabs his hand and drags him down the hallway, leaving Daichi and Koushi standing in silence in the living room.</p>
<p>The clock ticks behind them, deafening in the silence. “Daichi, I…”</p>
<p>“It’s okay.” It’s not okay, but Daichi can’t think about it right now. He’ll unbox the implications of his parents dying for the island by himself later that evening. Right now, they have to put on a good face for Hina. “Maybe...Maybe you should talk to your father. See if he knows anything.”</p>
<p>Koushi looks away from Daichi. “Come on, I need to start dinner.”</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>When Koushi announces dinner is ready, Hina drags Tooru out of her room. She is chattering away. Tooru listens intently, answering her silly questions seriously and allowing her to steer the conversation. Daichi does not know why he is so surprised Tooru is good with children. After all, he knows little to nothing about Tooru’s day-to-day life before he was trapped here. </p>
<p>When they sit down at the table, Daichi is on Tooru’s left, Hina on his right at her insistence. Koushi’s father comes in last. “Hello,” he says, blinking owlishly at Tooru.</p>
<p>“Hi!” Tooru says. “I’m Tooru. I’m staying with Daichi for awhile.”</p>
<p>“Ah,” he answers before turning back to his food. Koushi looks anxious, turning to Tooru, but Tooru just smiles and turns back to his conversation with Hina.</p>
<p>Afterward, Koushi shoos Hina to take a bath, compromising when she demands that Daichi and Tooru still be here when she gets out. “Your family is very nice,” Tooru says when it is just the three of them again.</p>
<p>Koushi gives a wan smile. “We manage. Sorry, this hasn’t been very productive. I’ll figure something out.”</p>
<p>“Do not exhaust yourself. I’m sure we will think of something.” Tooru pats Koushi’s back. “When your sister is done, we will leave you to sleep. I think…” Tooru hesitates before finishing, voice softer, “I think it may be time for you to think about what your heritage means. You and Daichi.”</p>
<p>The conversation from that afternoon flashes, very briefly, through Daichi’s mind. He swallows down the pain. Later. He can figure it out later.</p>
<p>Before either of them can answer, Hina is back, long hair snarled and wet. “Brush your hair!” Koushi scolds. “And say goodbye to Daichi and Tooru, they need to leave if they want to get home before dark.”</p>
<p>Hina pouts but turns to say goodbye, as Koushi asked. “Will I see you again soon?”</p>
<p>“I hope so,” Tooru says. “But maybe you can come to Dai-chan’s house this time.”</p>
<p>Daichi rolls his eyes. “Still inviting people over, I see.”</p>
<p>“I think it would be very nice!” Tooru protests. Daichi hugs Hina as well, then watches as Koushi guides her back to the washroom. “Shall we go?”</p>
<p>The walk back is mostly devoid of people, and Daichi’s relief is palpable. “We shouldn’t have come out,” Daichi says.</p>
<p>Tooru bites his lip. “They are scared.”</p>
<p>Daichi nods. He just wants to get back home, get ready for bed, and start fresh tomorrow. They have so much to go over. So much to figure out.</p>
<p>Daichi slows as the house comes into view, then stops. His heart sinks when he sees the men gathered on his front step. Not today. Not after what they had just started--learning about how to change the island, but also he and Tooru, together. Why did everything have to be so difficult? </p>
<p>Daichi puts his arm out, stopping Tooru as well. He feels Tooru’s hands wrap around his forearm and squeeze for just a second before releasing. “They are going to take me back now. I didn’t think it would be this fast.”</p>
<p>The wind carries Tooru’s soft words away so Daichi has to strain to hear them. Daichi turns to look at Tooru. Tooru’s face is set in a determined expression, but his eyes are frightened. Daichi wants to turn around and leave, wants to go back to that morning and insist they stay inside. He shouldn’t have gone through the town, they shouldn’t have gone to Koushi’s house. But none of those words come out. The only word he can say is, “No…”</p>
<p>“Dai-chan, they will. They are scared, I can smell it on them. Please do not let them hurt you.”</p>
<p>Daichi stares at Tooru, feeling so helpless. Tooru studies his expression intently, for just a few seconds, and then he nods, his face resigned. “I will be more pliant this time. Maybe they will not use the bells.”</p>
<p>Daichi hears a tremble in Tooru’s voice. He hates it. This is all Daichi’s fault.</p>
<p>But in the back of his head, Daichi knows it isn’t, truthfully. The townsfolk have been looking for an excuse for ages, Daichi is sure, an excuse to take Tooru from him, put him back where they think he belongs. It doesn’t help him feel less guilty.</p>
<p>Tooru studies Daichi’s face in the setting sunlight. “They will not kill me, and I have faith that you will do what you believe is best. Koushi must figure out what is necessary going forward, and it would do no good to fight for me at this time.”</p>
<p>“I hate it,” Daichi grits out. Tooru smiles, small and sad. He places his hand on the back of Daichi’s neck, ducks his head so that their foreheads touch, just briefly. His other hand grabs Daichi’s and squeezes. “I will get you out of there, whether it is back to my house, or to the ocean.”</p>
<p>A shout floats to them on the wind, words indistinct. Daichi takes a deep breath, gathers his courage, and turns to face the small mob. If Tooru is facing this with so much dignity, the very least Daichi can do is support him, make it as easy for him as possible.</p>
<p>There are only four men and the sheriff, who stands to one side with a look of barely concealed disgust on his face. One of them is the butcher.</p>
<p>“Mr. Sato,” Daichi starts, his voice stiff in his own ears. “Did I do something wrong with one of the orders that I helped prepare?”</p>
<p>Sato scowls. “No, of course not, you’re an exceptional worker. We’re here for the concerned folk of Merinnis. You do realize that you are harboring a dangerous creature, that you are allowing it to roam freely, as he pleases?”</p>
<p>Daichi’s jaw muscles clench. He grits out, “He is not going to harm anyone. We went to a friend’s for dinner.”</p>
<p>“Therein lies the problem, see,” another man speaks up. Daichi thinks he may work at the Terushima’s restaurant. “You are not <i>friends</i>. He is a prisoner, and should be treated as such!”</p>
<p>Daichi envisions himself punching this man, beating the shit out of him, but like Tooru said, that would do no good. He glances over at the sheriff, willing him to step in. He sighs. “Sorry, Daichi. I just don’t want any trouble. He is a prisoner, after all, and the men seem to think you may be a compromised jailer.”</p>
<p>These men, standing right there in front of Daichi with sullen, angry expressions, are the reason this island is in such turmoil, why people shy away from doing what is right by magic, why magic and those who live in it cower away. Such a small, outspoken group of the worst humanity can offer.</p>
<p>“It is alright. I will go with you.”</p>
<p>They all turn in shock to Tooru, who is standing calmly behind Daichi. “Tooru…”</p>
<p>“If it will make people feel safer for a merrow with no skin to be confined in an iron cell, then I will go.” A ripple of embarrassed anger makes its way through the crowd, but the words, paired with Tooru’s innocent tone and expression, makes it hard for them to argue with. “Can...Can Daichi accompany me?”</p>
<p>“Of course,” Sheriff Mizoguchi says, glaring at the men as they start protesting. “In fact, these four will not visit you unless it is to give you food <i>and</i> an officer is present. If I hear otherwise, this whole sham is void.”</p>
<p>This seems to placate the men. Mizoguchi jerks his head toward the Old Cells, and Daichi and Tooru follow him. Daichi can sense the men following them at a distance, but he doesn’t turn around to acknowledge the procession.</p>
<p>When they arrive at the door of the Old Cells, Sheriff Mizoguchi ushers them through first, then shuts and locks the door after them. “Daichi, listen, I’m really sorry…”</p>
<p>“Save it,” Daichi snaps. “The person you should apologize to is Tooru. He’s the one getting locked up, not me.”</p>
<p>Mizoguchi sighs. “Then I apologize to Tooru as well. But you have to realize. They practically run this island through fear and tradition…”</p>
<p>“Old tradition claims that merfolk and humans work side by side for the good of both races,” Tooru interrupts. “But younger generations do not inherit the knowledge of past generations as easily as we do. And fear can make people forget their rationality. Can we go down now? This place makes me very tired.”</p>
<p>Mizoguchi stares at Tooru, who ignores him. He has turned back to Daichi, his expression melancholic. Daichi takes his hand. “If you could light the torches on the way, that would be helpful,” Daichi says to Mizoguchi, who blinks out of his daze. He nods and lights the first one.</p>
<p>The trek down to the Cells is just as dismal as the first time Daichi had come down here to collect Tooru, just a few short months ago. The heaviness feels like layers of blankets piling on top of Daichi, each one thicker as they proceed down the hallway until they reach the cell Daichi had originally found Tooru in.</p>
<p>Tooru’s hand is trembling in Daichi’s when Mizoguchi opens the door to his cell. How scared he must be, to be left alone in this terrible place.</p>
<p>But he steps through the doorway first, head high, dignified until the end. Daichi walks in after him. No one has bothered to clean the mess that Daichi had left, so a disturbed line of salt sits in front of them. Daichi looks at the corner where the crown of holly lies amid the scattering of bells and ribbons. Tooru takes a deep breath before walking into the broken barrier of salt.</p>
<p>“I’ll give you two a moment,” Mizoguchi says. </p>
<p>As soon as the door closes, Tooru’s face crumples from his brave expression to one of fright. “Dai-chan…”</p>
<p>“I know,” Daichi says, even though he is sure he does not. “I’ll figure this out. No one is going to hurt you.”</p>
<p>Tooru nods. Daichi bridges the gap between them, and Tooru falls into Daichi’s hug. “We have time,” Tooru whispers, but Daichi knows he is trying to reassure himself more than Daichi. “I am still healthy, and if they continue to take the little they did before, I will be okay for a long while.”</p>
<p>Daichi kisses Tooru’s temple, then his cheek, then his mouth. He does not know how much time they will have, so he is brief. “Koushi and I will figure this out. It might take awhile, but we will. And they can’t keep us away forever. There is no law to say I can’t come visit you.”</p>
<p>Tooru nods. “Not a lot though, Dai-chan. Those men are angry and irrational. Please do not get hurt.”</p>
<p>Daichi concedes Tooru’s point. Tooru nods, then sits on the ground. He stretches out his arms, displaying the iron bands for Daichi to take. Daichi unlocks them, then, reluctantly, rechains Tooru’s wrists with the rough iron shackles. Tooru hisses when the iron touches his skin. “I’m sor…”</p>
<p>“Don’t apologize,” Tooru snaps. Daichi laughs, but it comes out more as a sob than anything. Tooru rests his head on Daichi’s shoulder. “I think you should be the one to comfort me, not the other way around. At the moment. I am the one staying in a jail cell.”</p>
<p>Daichi laughs again, this one more real. He leans down and sings, very quietly and very quickly, the lullaby that he had sung the night previous. He cannot believe it has only been a day, 24 short hours, and their lives have completely shifted. Daichi feels the tension leave Tooru’s body. “Maybe I’ll see if I can bring a radio. Although I am not sure if it will work down here...”</p>
<p>“I would like that,” Tooru says, his voice faraway. “Night, Dai-chan.”</p>
<p>Daichi swallows hard. “Goodnight, Tooru.”</p>
<p>Daichi doesn’t talk to Mizoguchi  during their walk back down the hall. Before they reach the top, Daichi turns, catching Mizoguchi by surprise. “He had better not get hurt, or I swear to all the Gods…”</p>
<p>Mizoguchi holds up his hands. “I know. I’ll make sure of it. If he is, you are free to take him back. I made that promise, and I’m sticking to it.”</p>
<p>There is not much else to do but accept Mizoguchi at his word, so Daichi does. He’ll ask about the radio tomorrow. He is exhausted, from the hike, from what he had learned that day, from leaving Tooru in this horrible place. From the implications of his parents’ deaths. There is nothing lower than here.</p>
<p>As he and Mizoguchi leave the building, Daichi hears Sato say, “We’ll have a guard here at all times, even if we can’t go down…” before cutting off his statement. Daichi doesn’t care. As long as Tooru is relatively safe, he will focus on the things that need to be done and leave the rest of the sorting out to Mizoguchi.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>The house is finally settled. Koushi breathes a sigh of relief, sagging down on the sofa. He makes a mental list of places to look for anything his mother left, to start searching tomorrow. He is so tired, he just wants to close his eyes and sleep for ten years, but now that Daichi and Tooru have confronted him, now that his secret is out, he feels an anxious thrumming under his skin. Anxious terrified, sure, but also anxious <i>excited</i>. He is no longer sitting, waiting helplessly, trying to stem a tidal wave of destruction with no help.</p>
<p>A soft knock at the door startles Koushi out of his thoughts. He jolts up, rubbing at his eyes. He didn’t think he had fallen asleep, but maybe he had. He stands, confused as to who would visit this late.</p>
<p>When he opens the door, he gasps. “Daichi, what are you doing back here, and so late?”</p>
<p>Daichi looks as tired as Koushi feels. He has a bag in one hand. Koushi tries to form words for a question, about Tooru or the nature of Daichi’s midnight call, but he can’t find any.</p>
<p>Daichi beats him to it. “They took him. To the Cells.”</p>
<p>Koushi’s heart sinks. If words were hard to find just seconds ago, they’ve all fled now. He swallows, and puts his arms out for a hug. Wordlessly, Daichi falls into them.</p>
<p>“We will figure this out,” Koushi says firmly. He can’t watch Daichi’s light extinguish, as if he has no life left in his body, again. But when they break away, Daichi doesn’t look done in. No, his eyes are bright with anger and resolve, his brown eyes sharp, his mouth curved down in a deadly slash.</p>
<p>“If they kill him,” Daichi says, his voice calm. Too calm. “I will destroy this place.”</p>
<p>Koushi knows, in that moment, that Daichi means what he said. And, truthfully, Koushi can’t blame him. “Spend the night,” he says to Daichi. “Everything looks better in the morning after we sleep.”</p>
<p>Daichi nods and allows Koushi to lead him up the stairs. Koushi’s thoughts are whirling as he makes up the spare bedroom with new sheets. His goodnight to Daichi is distracted. When he is alone in his room, he closes his eyes to concentrate better. Tentatively, he comes up with a plan.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>The first thing that Daichi does in the morning is get the radio for Tooru. Sheriff Mizoguchi gives in without any argument. When he gets to the Cells, he is confronted with one of the men from the night before, the one who works at the Terushima’s restaurant whose name is so unimportant to Daichi he doesn’t even bother to ask for it. He gives into Daichi’s demand to go down sullenly. “Don’t think we won’t put a stop to this.”</p>
<p>Daichi thinks about arguing for a moment before deciding it is not worth the effort.</p>
<p>Tooru’s eyes flick to Daichi when he opens the cell. “Good morning,” he says before laying his cheek back down on his knees. There is a tray of uneaten food beside him.</p>
<p>Daichi frowns. “I brought you a radio. The sheriff said it was alright. Let’s see if we can get it tuned.”</p>
<p>Tooru hums listlessly, staying turned away from Daichi. Daichi presses his lips together, but soldiers on.</p>
<p>The reception is terrible, as he had suspected, but there is a spot close to the wall where a few radio stations come in, fuzzy but clear enough to listen to. “You can move it around the cell, see if you can find a better spot. It will give you something to do, if nothing else.”</p>
<p>Tooru doesn’t even respond. Daichi studies him for a second. His body is folded in as if he is trying to protect his most vulnerable parts. Daichi reaches over, places a hand on Tooru’s head, pets through his disheveled brown hair. Tooru sighs and glances up, his eyes sad as a lost puppy’s. “You should eat. It doesn’t even look that bad.”</p>
<p>Tooru pouts at the food. “And I thought Dai-chan’s cooking was poor.”</p>
<p>Daichi can’t help the laugh that escapes his lips. Tooru glances at him, a smile playing in his eyes. “I’m so bored, Dai-chan, all I can do is sit here.”</p>
<p>“I know, and I’m sorry. At least you have the radio to keep you company now. But I really don’t think they’ll let me bring anything else down. Make sure you don’t let them near it.”</p>
<p>“They hate me so much,” Tooru says. </p>
<p>Daichi shakes his head. “They don’t hate you, and you know it. They do not like your kind, sure, but no one who gets to know you could hate you.”</p>
<p>Tooru smiles. “I think you’ve become a little biased.”</p>
<p>Daichi rolls his eyes and Tooru laughs. “I don’t hate you, and neither does Koushi or his family. Or Asahi, for that matter.”</p>
<p>“We won’t get to have dinner with him.”</p>
<p>They hear clattering as someone descends the stairs. Daichi sighs. “I’d better go. Let me know if they hurt you in any way, okay?”</p>
<p>Tooru nods. He curls back up in the position he was in originally, but this time, his eyes stray to the radio. Daichi slips out the cell door, locking it before the man on duty reaches them. He frowns. “What took you so long?”</p>
<p>“Just visiting,” Daichi says as affably as possible. “Thanks again.”</p>
<p>Work is long and dull. Daichi can tell Keishin wants to ask him what is wrong, and Daichi is glad when he doesn’t. After work, he dawdles as long as he can in town before going home. He has chores to take care of, but the thought of being alone in his house for the first time in months is depressing.</p>
<p>He notices that there is still someone at the Cells, although he cannot make out who it is. He turns away and doesn’t look out the window for the rest of the night. </p>
<p>Daichi’s days fall into this pattern of checking on Tooru in the morning, going to work, and trying not to do anything rash. Koushi appears every once in a while to have dinner, but he seems more detached than even Daichi. He tries to ask Koushi about it, but he just gets a vague smile in answer before the subject is changed. </p>
<p>It seems both of them are preoccupied. Daichi throws himself into research. After his shift at the Ukai’s, he visits the library. In four weeks he has read almost every book there that would hint at anything to do with energy, sacrifices, magic, or anything related. He hasn’t learned anything helpful, but he is sure he could give a dissertation on how electricity works everywhere except this island, apparently. </p>
<p>The longer it takes, the more frustrated Daichi becomes. He watches Tooru’s health steadily deteriorate as the iron takes a toll on his body. The men are getting more and more irritated, but they have no excuse to not allow Daichi his morning visits, so they continue. “You don’t have to visit all the time, Dai-chan,” Tooru says one morning, barely conscious. He hasn’t been sleeping well, Daichi gleans from their halting conversation. “And...And they took more scales last night.”</p>
<p>Daichi’s heart sinks. He reaches over, presses a hand to Tooru’s neck. Tooru’s head drifts down to Daichi’s arm. “Of course I’m going to visit. I just wish I brought better news. And I’m so sorry about the scales. I didn’t think they would pull more so soon.”</p>
<p>“I think,” Tooru says in a faraway voice, “most of the answers are in the sea. Not your books.”</p>
<p>Daichi presses his lips together. He hates feeling so helpless. “I’m going to figure this out. It’s a full moon tonight.”</p>
<p>Tooru nods. Daichi continues talking, about nothing really, but he can tell his voice is lulling for Tooru. After a few seconds, Tooru’s breathing is deep in sleep. This isn't working. Daichi and Koushi need to sit down together, for real this time, and figure out what their next move is going to be.</p>
<p>When he confronts Koushi at the general store, Koushi is skittish. “I’ll come over tonight, okay? And we can talk about it then.”</p>
<p>Daichi studies him for a second before nodding. Knowing Koushi, he has something up his sleeve. Daichi decides to leave him to it. He trusts Koushi.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Koushi’s hands are trembling. He tucks them deeper into his pockets as he smiles innocently at the sheriff. “Thanks so much for letting me visit. I won’t be long, promise.”</p>
<p>The sheriff waves his hand. “I don’t mind, Koushi, take your time. Let me know if Sato or one of the others gives you a hard time. They’re behaving, but I can sense their restlessness. It’s never enough, to get what they want so easily.”</p>
<p>Koushi nods. The wind is picking up. Soon, the island will be black as pitch as the sun goes down and the storm rolls in. Koushi plans to be far away when that time comes.</p>
<p>He picks his way down the path to the Old Cells. He thinks about stopping by to see Daichi, but he will visit on his way back. Daichi has been withdrawing more and more, the longer they search for any sort of clue and the more elusive those clues seem to become.</p>
<p>Koushi has come up with a plan, one that involves Tooru. And, if he won’t do it, then Koushi himself.</p>
<p>Koushi’s skin crawls the closer he gets to the Cells. He has never actually been down there. Even as a child, playing dares with other kids, he had never gone down, his instincts screaming at him to stay away.</p>
<p>The chill hits him immediately. He shivers, bundling further into his jacket. Sato is the one on duty, and he eyes Koushi warily. “The sheriff said I could visit,” he says, his charming smile in place. “I wanted to put some salve on his wrists, since the iron burns can’t be helped.”</p>
<p>Sato scowls but steps aside. Koushi nods to him, keeping his pleasant smile until he is halfway down the stairs. He feels physically sick the farther he continues into the building. He can feel the iron pressing down, suffocating him. He forces himself to continue on.</p>
<p>Soft music meets Koushi’s ears when he steps into the cell. Tooru is lying curled against the wall closest to the ocean. His eyes crack open when he hears Koushi come inside. When he realizes who it is, he sits up quickly. “Koushi-kun!”</p>
<p>He looks terrible, Koushi thinks. Tired, wan, pale, thin. Koushi swallows, shivers, tries to block out the mind-numbing coldness. “Hi, Tooru. I wanted to see how you were. And I brought you this.”</p>
<p>Koushi holds out the salve. Tooru’s eyes widen, and his smile is small, but there. It is enough for Koushi to push aside his unease and focus on Tooru.</p>
<p>Tooru’s wrists are red, like Koushi had predicted. He places a finger on his lips, motioning for silence, then pulls out a second key from his pocket. Tooru looks at him in confusion, but his eyes widen in understanding when he watches Koushi put it in one of the manacles. “Daichi told me that they gave you chains with a little bit longer reach. I trust it is more comfortable?”</p>
<p>Koushi wills Tooru to play along with his plan. He doesn’t think anyone followed him, but he is not going to take the chance.</p>
<p>“Oh, yes. It is more comfortable,” Tooru says slowly. Koushi nods his approval, then takes Tooru’s free hand in his and begins applying the salve. “I can reach the radio better too. There are not many places it has good...reception? I think that is the word Daichi used. So I have to keep it in one spot. It is nice to be able to reach it. No one touches it except me. Dai-chan said they are not allowed.”</p>
<p>“I would bet so,” Koushi says. He puts the shackle back on Tooru, then proceeds to do the same with his other hand. Tooru tries to carry on a conversation, but it is stuttering, disjointed. He has nothing to report because he has not gone anywhere, obviously. Koushi is too busy trying to frame his words to be of any help. When he is finished with the salve, he caps it. He shows Tooru the key, then places it under the radio. Tooru nods.</p>
<p>“Also,” Koushi says, pulling out a small vial of seawater. Tooru swallows, his eyes longing as he looks at it. “I know it isn’t a lot. I’ll leave it here for you to do what you would like.”</p>
<p>“Thank you, Koushi,” Tooru says softly. “Dai-chan brings me some too.”</p>
<p>Koushi studies Tooru thoughtfully. “You know, I’ve never been down here. It’s terrible enough to stand outside. They put any kind of magical creature in here that they plan on utilizing. Daichi, soft-hearted that he is, used to feed and take care of the cait sith when they were down here. We don’t catch them often anymore. And, apparently, every other form of magic they find is placed here too. I guess there just aren’t many storage places on the island they are sure no one will ransack.”</p>
<p>Tooru’s eyes are big. “My…”</p>
<p>Koushi presses a hand to Tooru’s mouth, but nods. “Anyway, it’s a full moon tonight, but a storm is rolling in, so I’d better leave if I want to make it home safe.”</p>
<p>“Thanks, Koushi,” Tooru says. “Will you tell...Will you tell Dai-chan goodnight for me, please? I miss him.”</p>
<p>Koushi nods, pressing his lips together as a surge of emotions threaten to spill out of him. “Of course I’ll let him know.”</p>
<p>When Koushi leaves, he makes sure to stay and chat with Sato for a few minutes. People like Koushi. He has constructed a perfectly agreeable social mask that he uses especially for people who do not like him. He has never been so glad of it as he is then.</p>
<p>When he knocks on Daichi’s door, Daichi lets him in without a question. Koushi wonders how long it will be until all hell breaks loose. He hopes that they are prepared for what lies ahead.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Daichi is almost asleep when he hears the commotion begin outside. He blinks, trying to orient himself. He hears another shout. He peeks through the window.</p>
<p>There are two men that are running at full tilt down the path, each of them yelling, but Daichi cannot make out what. He scrambles out of bed, fumbles for a jacket, foregoing any other dressing. When he bursts into the living room, Koushi is waking up.</p>
<p>“What…?” Koushi’s voice is groggy.</p>
<p>“I don’t know, something is happening in the Cells.” Daichi doesn’t wait for Koushi to react, just slips on his shoes and darts toward the Cells, which are now eerily quiet. In his haste, he runs his arm across the wire fence along the road. He hisses, grasping at the wound, which he can already feel is starting to seep blood. Damn, he hopes it is not deep.</p>
<p>When he gets to the Cells, he sees a figure limp out. The first thing Daichi notices is the beautiful piece of cloth that is held in his hands, teal and shimmery, even in the dim, dim light of torches meters away. Daichi pulls his eyes away from the skin to see Tooru. He looks like a spooked animal, hair wild, blood on his chin and cheek. He has frozen in place. “I hurt someone, Dai-chan. The butcher you work for. He needs help.”</p>
<p>“Go!” Daichi hisses to Tooru when he makes no move to leave. Tooru is looking at him with those deep brown eyes, and Daichi has never seen such indecision in them. Tooru steps closer, out of the light of the Cells, and suddenly, they are only centimeters apart. Daichi takes a deep breath. “If you do not leave, now, you’re never going to get away. It has to be now.”</p>
<p>“Come with me,” Tooru says, letting out a soft, sad coo. “We can figure it out! I can guide your boat, I can…” Daichi forces himself to smile, strokes Tooru’s disheveled hair away from his face. Tooru leans his head down, presses his forehead against Daichi’s. Daichi reaches his hand up, places it against the back of Tooru’s neck. The skin is rigid there, like scales. Already, his body is changing.</p>
<p>“Maybe, eventually, I will,” Daichi whispers. “But we need to figure out how to make the sacrifice count, right?”</p>
<p>Tooru closes his eyes tightly for just a second. Then, he jerks himself away, the beautiful teal skin grasped tightly in his hands, and disappears into the darkness.</p>
<p>Daichi sags against the wall of the Cells, grasping onto the arm that he had hurt in his rush over. There is still a huge commotion happening, loud enough that Daichi can hear a little of it all the way out there. He’s just glad no one has come up here yet. The men sound like they are trying to get a search party gathered, but they have wasted too much time. Tooru is too quick, and they don’t know where the path down to the cove is. They won’t find him. Daichi closes his eyes and smiles.</p>
<p>“Daichi! What the hell are you doing here? What happened to your arm?”</p>
<p>Daichi opens his eyes groggily to see Keishin and the sheriff approaching him. He stands, hissing when the cut on his arm reopens. “I came to see what was happening and cut it on that damn fence on the way. Look, Sato needs more help than me.”</p>
<p>Keishin sighs. “Good thing I brought the car. Let’s see what damage has been done.”</p>
<p>He disappears into the Cells, leaving Mizoguchi and Daichi alone. “I take it the news is true, then, that our merrow has left?”</p>
<p>Daichi nods. Luckily, he is too exhausted to smile, but that’s what he wants to do. Tooru had gotten away.</p>
<p>Mizoguchi nods back. “Luckily, they pulled some scales out a few days ago, so we may be able to power ourselves for a few more weeks, but that’s not to say anything about the nature of the weather.”</p>
<p>Daichi and Mizoguchi both look up to see lightning dance across the clouds. “If it’s anything like last time,” Daichi says, “we had best be prepared.”</p>
<p>Mizoguchi looks away, guilty, as everyone seems to be when Daichi alludes to his parents in any form. As if they all know who is responsible for their deaths.</p>
<p>Before Daichi has to break the awkward tension, Keishin is back, dragging a groaning Sato after him. One of his legs appears broken, and his right arm looks like a bite has been taken out of it. “Damn creature,” Sato hisses, “this has to be your fault!”</p>
<p>Daichi holds up his hands. “I haven’t visited since this morning, as you specifically asked me not to. You should go get those wounds looked at. You never know. Maybe a merrow bite is fatal. And let me know if you need help in the shop. I’m more than happy to be of service.”</p>
<p>Sato looks like he’s about to yell at Daichi, but hisses in pain when Keishin jostles him. “Let’s get going. See you back in town, yeah?”</p>
<p>Mizoguchi nods. He and Daichi watch Keishin situate Sato into the vehicle before driving away.</p>
<p>Sheriff Mizoguchi finally breaks the silence between them. “You should go to the hospital, too. Your arm is bleeding.”</p>
<p>Daichi shakes his head. “I will be alright. Thank you, though. You should get home before the storm comes in.”</p>
<p>The sheriff walks Daichi through his gate and up to the back door, as if they are on an awkward first date. Once there they stand, locked in a battle of wills, until the sheriff finally concedes. “I’m sorry it turned out this way. Get some rest, will you? You look exhausted.”</p>
<p>Daichi nods and gives his farewell. He doesn’t tell the sheriff that he doesn’t know if he will sleep that night, his thoughts swirling, his emotions flooding through his body, bleeding into each other. He is, of course, glad that Tooru had gotten away. But he’s upset at the fact too, because that means Tooru chose the ocean instead of him. Which, Daichi knows, is a completely irrational thought to have, because the only other option was Tooru staying to die. And then Daichi is back to the bone-sagging relief of Tooru getting away.</p>
<p>He watches lightning play over the uneasy ocean. The waves are getting worse. His heart stutters, panic rises, and he grasps the doorframe. His imagination shows him boats, one boat specifically, fighting through the nasty storm. His father, trying to talk calmness into the boat, even though his mother would have stood firm until the very end.</p>
<p>A crack of thunder jolts Daichi out of his thoughts. It is followed immediately by another web of lightning. Daichi thinks he sees a glistening of light teal scales and a white, lithe body, but he can’t be sure.</p>
<p>“Daichi.”</p>
<p>Daichi feels his shoulders sag in relief when he feels Koushi’s hand rest on his against the doorframe. “Hey, come inside, Daichi. I’ll make tea.”</p>
<p>The lights flicker. Daichi is not sure if it is the weather or the fact that Tooru, their energy source, has escaped.</p>
<p>“Yeah. Yeah, um, thanks, Koushi. You...Did you do this?”</p>
<p>Koushi’s smile is small as he leads Daichi into the house. He doesn’t answer, but he doesn’t have to.</p>
<p>“This...This is it, isn’t it?” Daichi asks when Koushi has settled him at the table and has started the kettle.</p>
<p>Thunder rumbles through the house again. Once again, Koushi doesn’t answer. Daichi watches as Koushi gathers cups, prepares the tea, then pours the hot water. Watching him is soothing, as if he can organize Daichi’s thoughts by the monotonous rhythm of something as mundane as making tea.</p>
<p>“If you mean this is the end of the island, I’m afraid it might be so,” Koushi says after they take a few sips of their drinks. “But we’re going to figure out how to stop it. We have a responsibility, right? You feel it, I feel it. It’s in our blood. Besides, us island folk are resilient. We can beat this. But first, we’re going to need some sleep. Some <i>real</i> sleep. And let me patch up that arm for you.”</p>
<p>Daichi and Koushi share a small, determined smile. Tomorrow, after they rest, after the emotions of Tooru escaping have calmed to smaller waves, they will turn their attention to figuring out how to stop this. Because, no matter how misguided or rough the island is, this is home, and neither want to see it razed to the ground. Not when they can figure out how to save it.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This is the end of part one! To be quite honest, this became wayyy longer than I ever thought it was going to be. I'm trying to decide whether or not to post chapter by chapter after this, or just post part two all at once. Anyway, thanks for reading!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for reading! Comments/kudos always welcome!</p>
<p>My <a href="https://twirlergirl1206.tumblr.com/">tumblr</a> if you're interested!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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